Geographic Information Systems
Geographic information systems are defined as “rapidly expanding technology via which spatial data may be captured, stored, retrieved, displayed, manipulated and analyzed. Applications of this technology include detailed inventories of land use parcels” (Fotheringham at AL. 284).
Currently GIS is applied in various fields in order to be helpful in science and daily life of ordinary people. Geographic information systems are meant to facilitate the search of the needed locations as well as place new objects on the maps upon their creation. From my personal experience I can conclude that the technology is a great help whenever I am in search of a certain place that I have not visited before. Different kinds of navigators that can be simply used from any digital device including a cell phone build a user’s route and step-by-step lead him to the chosen destination. In recent years the technology has become extremely popular and currently “there are many resources available for learning GIS, for finding GIS data and sample maps, and for getting help” concerning any issues (Booth & Mitchell 250).
However, there are certain issues that need to be improved in the above-mentioned systems. Sometimes the location placed on a map is not precise and is really difficult to find even with the help of the technology. The considerable number of the maps need improvement as sometimes the mapped route is not the most convenient and the shortest possible. In my opinion, the most important feature of a good map is its simplicity and readability. Thus, I would encourage using the maps, which details can be edited and selected. For example, frequently visited places or colors of certain parcels could be changed in accordance with a user’s preferences.
Having briefly considered GIS functions and imperfections, it can be concluded that the technology is irreplaceably useful. Hopefully the maps of GIS will be further improved in order to simplify and improve the process of using.
Works Cited
Booth, Bob, and Andy Mitchell. "Getting started with ArcGIS." (2001).
Fotheringham, Stewart, and Peter Rogerson, eds. Spatial Analysis and GIS. CRC Press, …
