Hi Matt, colleagues and friends,
My personal and professional thoughts on this specifically have been varied over time… from one perspective, the map product is a very highly desired thing, thus the “why do we need GIS when we have Google maps?”
response is common and frightening when encountered at first… however, if someone is strictly using GIS solely for making simple maps of existing data, they are akin to using a
Terex RH400 hydraulic shovel for going to the grocery store… or saying, “why do I need a surveyor? I have a good idea where my property line is based on what my neighbor tells me.” (Unless of course
your neighbor is a licensed surveyor and photogrammetrist like mine is…) It shows that they have minimal knowledge of what GIS is, and what it is ultimately capable of doing. Let’s collectively call them the “uninitiated” or the “uninformed.” The value of
the GIS Professional is NOT solely in their ability to make pretty pictures, but in their ability to geovisualize a problem and provide an answer or solution that precisely suits the scenario. It’s in the ability to perform analysis and produce data or provide
information that supports a decision or prompt further inquiry. It’s in their knowledge and experience that provides them with the expertise to create custom geotechnical tools to assist in accomplishing a goal. I would highly recommend the blog post
http://www.webmapsolutions.com/stop-calling-mapping-guy. This precisely hit the nail on the head… simple maps are for armatures. That’s my $0.10 on the issue…
Kind regards,
Thad
Thad J. Dymkowski, GISP
GIS Technician
Town of Newington, CT
Phone: (860) 665-8592
"If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor."
~Albert Einstein
From: Northeast Arc Users Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Matt Sheehan
Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2015 2:25 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: As a GIS Professional are you still valuable?
I thought the discussion raised in the blog article below worth sharing. Many GIS professionals I have spoken to today feel threatened. Its now far easier to work with GIS and publish maps, so are we still valuable?
In the article we discuss re-framing the conversation. Focusing less on the output from a GIS: maps, and more on the wider value the technology and you as a GIS expert bring to your organization. Here is a link to the article, we would
be very interested to hear your thoughts:
ps. This post was written purely to encourage discussion on some of the challenges and opportunities we face within GIS.
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