My Initial ArcMap Experience

          My initial experience with Arc Map was in a word, frustrating. The program’s user interface was somewhat unintuitive. Seemingly, it takes substantial practice with the program to become a proficient user. The layout of the program is sensible, but various commands and features of the program are unintelligible and can be disconcerting when trying to use. For example, the Select tool in the ArcMap program seems to only select items under certain conditions. Although I may have been making a mistake in the use of the tool, one would assume that the point and click technique would be all that was required.

          Additionally, another frustrating aspect of ArcMap was the addition of text onto a layout. Editing text in a text box cannot be done with a simple click in the text box to produce a cursor, as is common in various software programs. To edit certain text boxes in ArcMap, a user needs to double click on a box or right click to edit it. Another part of ArcMap I found bothersome was the lag of the program. Every time I use the program, the software lags regardless of the computer. Surely, others have voiced similar concerns and dislikes about the ArcMap program.

         Despite my negative opinions of ArcMap, I recognize that this program is a very useful and powerful geographic tool. This short tutorial over ArcMap elucidated several applications for GIS and the benefits that GIS provides. For instance, the use of GIS to plot population densities as well as various physical features would be very useful in land management or city planning. Also, GIS would be useful in the construction industry. ArcMap and other similar programs could be used to display the geographic extent of a construction site. Of course, these are just a couple of the numerous applications of ArcMap. By the use of a skilled professional, ArcMap has the potential to be a powerful geographic tool.

         Certain negative aspects may arise from the use of ArcMap. If the user does not have adequate training, a substandard work may be produced. Although substandard can have an array of meanings in this context, some may be more serious than others. For instance, incorrect font size or text placement will hardly cause any affairs. Yet, the incorrect placement of parcel lines has the potential to result in serious negative consequences. Surely, the positive consequences of GIS outweigh the negative consequences of GIS.