My GIS Experience:
My overall experience working through the GIS tutorial was enjoyable. I like maps. I like data. I like I'm learning a skill that allows me to make data digestible and beautiful. Most of my frustrations with the tutorial came from the length and tedium.Instead of working through one long, complex mapping excersise, that covered everything we were meant to learn, it would have been nice to work with a smaller data set--maybe with a more familiar subject (what is a parcel? I still don't even know)--and learn how to use the tools one by one.
I also found myself wanting to understand the system deeper. Where does this data come from? What does it look like in its raw form? How do the different layers interact with each other? I can tell that if I understood some of the foundational technicalities better, I would have a better grasp of what I'm doing when I manipulate the visual representation of the data. But there's clearly a lot to learn. Maybe this is both a pitfall and a potential. GIS is tricky and hard to democratize, but once you learn the skill, you have a lot of power at your fingertips.
The other thing I wondered about was how users collaborate on maps. It seems like it would be so easy to mix files up or save a pathway wrong. If I were working on a serious project with a partner I would want some way to document our progress, as well as our sources. Where did the data set come from? Has information become so accessible that it's normal for GIS programmers to regularly give and receive data sets from other entities? That could be another issue in terms of trust and credibility.
I'm interested in what kind of software is available to do GIS on macs. Frankly, I'm not interested in honing a skill unless I can do it on my own laptop, and I'll probably take what I learn from this class to explore what the other options and technology there is out there.
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