Lab 4

Lab 4

ArcGIS is a geographic information system modeling and mapping program design by ESRI. ArcGIS lets you see so many new aspects of maps. ArcGIS offer so many different features to edit, combine, deletion of attributes. ArcGIS is a little overwhelming at first. It is like any new program you used for the first time. Maybe ArcGIS is more complicated than average Microsoft Office program. Following the ArcGIS tutorial is quite simple if everything is exactly the same, but one those directions asking you extract file from here and there is where the complication occurs.

The first map we had to create was fairly straight forward, but as you continue farther it got complex and intensified. For me and few fellow students had difficult because we did not save it in correct place or continue save in the same folder. We would finish second map only to find that one of the files were missing inside the map, which cause the delays. It was hard to figure out where you had gone wrong because there so many factors you can jumble up in wrong area. I must say there were few frustrated moments where you could not get the program to do what you wanted, but having classmate and TA around really did help a lot going through the tutorial.

One of the disadvantage of ArcGIS is you need to be attention to detail oriented. Biggest problem is that you have read all the direction carefully and do not skip a step in tutorial. Skipping one page can mess up the whole map easily. Now I can really see why you do need to do the lab three times to be familiar with basic tool of ArcGIS. It is definitely not a program you can go quickly in you must take the time and be patient.

ArcGIS can be prevailing and influential to the world without most people even knowing it. There are so many possibilities with incorporating with everyday information. I would like to learn more about how to combine ArcGIS to the business world. One thing I did notice when I look at how much it cost to buy ArcGIS license it was about $1500 for one license. So owning ArcGIS for the average student is a little outrageously pricey. The only way for a student to use the program is taking GIS class or working for company that uses ArcGIS. This program is more for education institution and private firm that specialize in Geographic information systems.