Potential and Pitfalls of GIS
After finishing the ArcGIS tutorial and looking at the finished product, I was quite impressed at the software's ability to enable someone with so little experience like myself to create a such a professional-looking set of maps. For the most part, the tutorial was relatively easy to follow and the software easy to use. I think the least agreeable part of the tutorial was the amount of time it took to complete, though with repetition it did get easier as I got more familiar with the technology.
In my short experience, I didn't find many pitfalls with ArcGIS, but they do exist. For one, both data for GIS and GIS software are very expensive, and the average person probably isn't willing to pay thousands of dollars for these just to create maps. Furthermore, it takes time to become familiar with the program, and even after completing the tutorial, I'm sure that I'm not aware of all of the capabilities and features that GIS offers.
On the other hand, GIS has huge potential and many upsides. First of all, the software provides a mechanism of displaying large amounts of data in a visually appealing way. It enables people to perform spatial analysis and look at important spatial relationships that may not otherwise be seen. Furthermore, it allows people to use data to make a point because it allows for the manipulation of data to show spatial relationships and patterns.
In summary, GIS is great for professionals and academics who have time to learn to use the program and resources to pay for software and data, but not ideal for the average person.
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