Lab 4

This experience with ArcGIS was pretty smooth and self-explanatory. Before this class I had no recollection or idea about the existence of ArcGIS; although I did know there was some sort of program that was used by cartographers to compile and customize maps. ArcGIS is definitely a program which is benficial and effectives in using when creating and/or editing all sorts of maps.
In going through the tutorial, the steps were clear and the program made it easy to follow.

In our lab we were to see if the expansion of an airport in regards to applying various sets of spatial data onto a visual model that anyone can easily understand. For example, the most significant drawback of the project, the increase in the noise level in the area, is represented by a noise contour on the county map. Then pacing additional layers containing schools in the area, land use, and population density, in order to determine if the expansion significantly affects any schools, residential zones, or large groups of the county population.

A fellow program to ArcGIS, ArcMap, allowed us to have the necessary scales and various legends to further depict the information in our images. Many colors are used to depict different categories within the information, also within the noise contour there is one school and a significant residential population. Then it would be up to local government officials to compare this GIS data with local laws and regulations to make a decision. The strength of ArcMap comes in its ability to analyze and organize a lot of spatial data onto a map, while still easily being able to add and edit the information provided. ArcMap and ArcGIS work well together to provide substantial amount of information on a single map.

Although ArcMap's many features and functions are also it's pitfall. The menu interface is actually a bit complicated for your everyday user. The amount of layers one has to keep track of can get confusing. And the saving system and file extensions are additional details that a user has to keep in mind. A casual user simply cannot pick up the program and start using it as a neogeography tool for their daily lives. This makes it necessary for a professional user to take an in-depth tutorial or class in order to take advantage of all its quirks and features, which limits the widespread use of the program to only within the GIS field and related industries.