Lab 4: ArcGIS

Geographic Information Systems, also known as GIS, allow its users to create products that are a comprehensive version of image visualization and spatial analysis. It creates maps that have the ability to display a range of geographically referenced information, from land use features to population densities or demographics. With GIS tools, viewers can view and interpret data in novel ways, such that relationships, patterns and trends can be revealed and examined.

GIS has the potential to divide the globe into minutely organized and categorized regions, which different people or companies can then further splice up based on their topics of interest. For instance, a new children's clothing company would look at a local map that displays population numbers and household income information, and place their store in a location with a high concentration of young, wealthy families. These extensive resources of archival datasets fuse the field of spatial analysis with commerical and consumer databases. Or in the instance of environmental justice, pollution sources can be plotted in an area to see if high concentrations of polluting firms are being placed in low income neighborhoods, or if they're in locations that also show high rates of cancer or disease, to help show a correlation between the two. GIS can help answer these types of questions, and is part of the ubiquitous and evolving realm of geospatial technologies and location based devices. It exemplifies while simplifying; converting the chaos that is the real world into uncomplicated geometric objects, and concise layers of differentiated spatial information.

It can, however, be difficult to use if you lack the training, or even the computer software to run the programs. Without access to teaching or a tutorial, the ArcGIS system can be intimidating and even impossible. GIS on the whole is composed of hardware, software, subsystems, and database management systems, the parts of which are used together for purposes like data entry, data storage and data presentation. But each of these subsets of GIS technology come riddled with their own complexities that a novice user may be incapable of deciphering. And on the humanistic side, once the technological aspect is conquered, it can be an unwelcome advancement in computer programming. While firms interested in capitalistic advancement mine consumer data, they are simultaneously exploiting personal information. Most people don't expect to be secretly identified and tracked spatially by companies wishing to squeeze more money out of them. Or in the military sense, troops may use GIS to determine the shortest routes across foreign terrain, or to examine clusters of people or supplies that may indicate a hostile presence. While such knowledge seems beneficial to speed up warfare and aid our troops, the same battle planning capabilities can be used by any enemy military with GIS software. And because it is constantly changing, programmers need to be consistently training to update their GIS knowledge and abilities to match new facets of the software, which makes an already difficult technology even more intimidating.

From personal use with the ArcGIS software, it seems like a simple enough process to not only create a single map, but to manipulate different layers to give the map multiple dimensions of information. The tutorial laid out every aspect of design clearly and concisely, and everything within the software is labeled for simplicity. Though to arrange current data frames, or to create new ones, one needs to have current knowledge of program tools. One mistake in the process of creating a new map, or even a new layer, can create a domino effect that ends up compromising the final product. But the features included in the software help to more than express the topic of ones choosing. GIS is a revolutionary technology that combines locationally referenced data with statistics and attribute information to create a technological and visual tool used to analyze and assess real-world questions.And as it continues to evolve into more user friendly mediums, the scope of its use is sure to broaden and advance the way in which we comprehend aspects of the space that surrounds us.