One could perceive “recording the world as a set of typologies” as positive or negative. On one hand, the case could be made that placing everything in specific sets takes away the individuality of each piece being photographed, and lumps them into one group. On the other hand, the opposite can be argued. I feel that there is a tendency for people to, for instance, think of generic structures as being just “buildings.” The Becher’s work compiles a number of these into one group that seems, at first, to be of nearly identical buildings. However, comparing them side by side, you can pick out the minor structural differences that set each apart. Most people will still come away thinking of them all as buildings, but they may see that the range of buildings is more diverse than they realized. This works on a larger scale as well. Putting typologies side by side, one can see the similarities and differences between sets. The set of “residential” verse “industrial” buildings can give the viewer a better idea of traits that lie within the range of each.