This Geography 7 class was the first time I had ever heard about GIS and even when the professor explained what it was used for, I could not visualize its usefulness. For this lab, we worked with ArcMap to create a proposed airport expansion. While following the steps for the tutorial, I realized that in order to be able to use ArcMap, one would have to have a relatively extensive knowledge of computer skills and technical language. Users must definitely be able to properly and accurately read the tutorial. I was very careful reading each of the steps, but I still encountered some problems such as taking as long as ten minutes to find a certain button on the program just to be able to edit an attributes table. I think it would definitely be helpful for users to have some sort of experience with other programs like Photoshop. While working with ArcMap, I saw similarities between the two programs, some of which are working with several layers or zooming into the page. However, the features in ArcMap were helpful in making our series of maps easier to read. For instance, changing the symbols, colors, and font size is key to making a successful map because the audience needs to be able to understand the information.
An advantage of ArcMap is its ability to display the data selected in a short amount of time. One no longer has to collect data and manually figure out how to implement it into a map. ArcMap makes it easy to represent the already collected data onto a map with clicking a few buttons. Certainly, users must first know how to extract the data they want to use and know the right steps to place it under the correct data frame. Something else that amazed me was how quickly ArcMap was able to calculate the population density of the county we were working with. We only needed to enter one equation and the calculations were done in a few seconds. This is probably something that would manually take hours. Also, mistakes--something I often came across--can be easily fixed using ArcMap. Even something as simple as renaming a layer and having it immediately reflected in the title or legend could take several drafts if done manually. Hence, ArcMap becomes very useful in its speed and simplicity.
The potentials of ArcMap and GIS go beyond anything I can imagine. Since ArcMap is well-connected to the digital world, this program serves us not only to print our maps. We can also export the work done on ArcMap and digitally share it and distribute it to anyone almost instantaneously. Furthermore, ArcMap deals with geographic information that is very important to us human beings. It helps us answer questions about our location, our relation to others, and the impact of our decisions. The raw data itself also serves to build the credibility of the maps created using this software, which has tremendous importance because while a large amount of people can afford and use ArcGIS, it does not take away from the level of professionalism used to acquire the data. Additionally, I do not see the price tag on ArcGIS as a downfall necessarily because its relatively steep price ensures that only people with a purpose will buy and use the program.
We, however, cannot forget that ArcGIS is not some magical program that contains every piece of information we seek. Rather, we must see that the data used is collected through the dedicated fieldwork of geographers. Hence a lack of people interested in the field can lead to its downfall. While this can sound a bit contradicting, the steep price of ArcGIS can potentially lead to its downfall as well because not everyone is able to purchase and explore the program. The inability to explore the program hence leaves no room for people to discover and investigate the field. Furthermore, a more obvious disadvantage is that the program is difficult and confusing to use. With the amount of jargon and previous computer knowledge needed to successfully use ArcMap, it gives people less of an incentive to use it. However, with future generations becoming more technologically savvy than the previous one, this might not be a problem.
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