ArcMap Experience + Potential and Pitfalls of GIS:
As this was my first experience using the ArcMap software, I
must say it was an interesting experience. When I first started the program and
following the guide, I was intimidated by the amount of things that the program
allows the user to do. But as I stepped through the tutorial, I realized that
the program was actually very well organized. I guess that is expected of a
program that has been through 10 major versions. The tutorial was very easy to
follow, and I was able to create an awesome looking map in just 2 hours. The
way that the program manages information just left me in awe of it after I
looked at the map I exported.
There is a lot of potential in ArcMap software that is very
beneficial for a user to take advantage of. First is that manipulation of data
was very easy. It allows the user to access the database and display it in a meaningful
way without the need to understand how the data is stored. The hundreds of options
for each task really simplify the tasks to be done by the user, creating a very
user-friendly access to the world of GIS. Examples of these include drawing
tools, as well as calculation tools that really made me say, ‘wow’.
The one pitfall of the ArcMap software I noticed is the
sheer size of the program. In trying to load the database and manage it, the
program took a long time to load in the beginning. The machines at the lab, as
well as remote accessing to the lab, made me feel uncomfortable whenever the
program stalled. Although I did not experience any data loss though frequent
saving, absent the habit, I would have had to start over. Another pitfall of
the ArcMap software is that there still is a high learning curve. After going
through the 56 page tutorial, I feel that I only know the very small portion of
the software mentioned in the tutorial. The portion of options I have
used/understand versus the options I do not understand is just amazingly high.
I think a user will need to use this program for months before fully
understanding what each part does.
Overall, I think ArcMap is a very powerful yet flexible GIS
tool. It is user-friendly while being very robust and full of options. The
program seems flawless on first try (provided that it is run on a powerful
machine). I think I understand why ArcGIS dominates the market after only using
it once.
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