ArcGIS: First Try

ArcGIS Tutorial Image

ArcGIS Tutorial Image

         To be honest, I was not a fan of maps. I usually take the use of maps for granted. But as I went through this tutorial, I realized how powerful GIS could be in terms of providing information and presenting ideas in a clear and aesthetic fashion. In addition, as mentioned in the lecture by professor Illes, map makers tend to have their own "arts". Using map as a means of communication, it is easy for them to present their intended theory or idea by selecting which features of the map they want to stand out. Overall, my experience with ArcGIS was pleasant: the instructions were very clear and it was very fun manipulating the data and being amazed by how powerful a computer software can be. This could be my first step of being a map maker!
        GIS as opposed to traditional printed map, enjoys another advantage. For the map makers a hundred years ago, it is clearly a lot of work when trying to edit an old map from someone else. Unlike GIS, traditional maps do not have their raw data ready and therefore when someone wants to edit a printed map, they may have to draw the whole map again. In addition, information of the raw data may be lost in which case editing can be difficult.
       Despite the benefits and potentials GIS brings, there are also some pitfalls. To begin with, with increasing access to the raw data and map editing, someone could easily make a map that could mislead people. An example I have seen is that a map maker was trying to discriminate against a certain race in a certain state by stating that the wealth of a certain race is in the hands of another race due to massive immigration. These maps could be misleading and even cause conflicts to those that do not have high levels of media literacies.
     The biggest pitfall of GIS, as stated by professor in lecture, is that it requires very accurate information input to get a accurate output. Although I stated that GIS is very useful even with amateur users like me, I am not certain if I had made a mistake or not when processing the data. If I got something wrong while inputing data, my map would provide inaccurate information and the potential consequences to the viewers cannot be underestimated.
     In all, GIS, as a modern map making, data manipulation and analysis tool, is very useful for geographers. It reduces a lot of work using contemporary technology  While one enjoys the fruit of technology innovations, one cannot forget that one has to be careful not to let the pitfalls of GIS undermine our handwork.

Interactive Map: Trip to the Town of Little Mermaids

View Trip to the town of the Little Mermaids in a larger map

The pitfalls of Neogeography

   While neogeography, characterized by accessible to users around the world, has been useful in providing instant informations to its users, pitfalls arise from all the benefits. Two of them are loss of privacy and information inaccuracy.
   With neogeography tools such as Google maps with street views, pictures from ordinary people taken at any time can be uploaded online for the whole world to see. While this can be convenient for virtual tourists, people actually appearing in the picture may feel uncomfortable for being exposed at certain places. For example, someone wearing a high school uniform definitely does not want to be posted in a picture entering a liquor store on a school day. Privacy cannot be ensured when you have to look out for everyone that has a camera on his or her phone. Hence, authorities of such useful tools should consider filtering the photos posted online or at least try to get consent from the person shot in the picture. 
    Another aspect we have to look out for is information accuracy. With the accessibility to editing the information posted online, it is very likely that information that is not accurate or tested is posted online. With low media literacy level, many viewers may intuitively think what they get from the internet is always correct, which is obviously not guaranteed in the case of Wikipedia. An example is the interactive map I posted in this blog. I had the opportunity to edit the notes I post to every spot I tagged. If a note a price of a dish at a certain restaurant now, it is very likely that 3 years from now, the information will not be up to date and will lose its original usefulness.
   In summary, while more use of neogeography is an emerging trend among global users for personal usage, one has to be aware of the information acquired online and the developers of the tools should be careful not to breach the law in terms of privacy issues.

Lab 2 USGS Topographic Maps

Lab 2

1. Beverly Hills Quadrangle
2. Adjacent Quadrangle 1. Canoga Park;
    Adjacent Quadrangle 2.Van Nuys;
    Adjacent Quadrangle 3. Burbank;
    Adjacent Quadrangle 4. Topanga;
    Adjacent Quadrangle 5. Hollywood;
    Adjacent Quadrangle 7. Venice;
    Adjacent Quadrangle 8. Inglewood.
3. 1966
4. National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929; North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27)
5. 1:24,000
6. (a) 1,200 meters
    (b) 1.89 miles approximately
    (c) 2.64 inches
    (d) 12.5 cm
7. 20 feet
8.  Public Affairs: +34° 4' 30", -118° 26' 0" (34.075, -118.43)
     Tip of Santa Monica Pier: +34° 0' 27", -118° 29' 57" (34.0075, -118.499167)
     The Upper Franklin Canyon Reservoir:  +34° 7' 0", -118° 24' 30"(34.116667, -118.408333more infoAddress:)
9.  (a) Greystone Mansion 580 feet; 176.78 meters (approximately)
     (b) Woodlawn Cemetery 140 feet; 42.67 meters (approximately)
     (c) Crestwood Hills Park 620 feet; 189.00 meters (approximately)
10. UTM zone 11
11. 10 N 361500E 3763000N
12. 1,000,000 square meters
13. Elevation Profile

14. 14 degrees 48 minutes East
15. South
16.