On the Map: 8 questions with Jim Cannistra

May 15, 2012

Ashley

As I have been working in the GIS field for 10 years in Maryland, I have met some interesting, talented, intelligent, and motivating GIS colleagues along the way.  Hopefully this blog series will share with you some exciting tidbits of information from each person who has touched my career in some way.

I was first introduced to Jim last year at a MSGIC meeting and then subsequent MD iMap technical committee meetings. I was immediately drawn to listening to Jim as he speaks because of his experience with both GIS and imagery and the way he communicates.  Jim is able to look at the big picture and disseminate information in a clear, concise manner.  Maryland is very lucky to have someone like Jim as a GIS leader!

Quick facts about Jim Cannistra

Tell me something fun about your job.
I like working for MDP for many reasons.  Our agency is a very GIS-centric organization.  The leadership within the agency recognizes and appreciates the value of GIS technology in support of smart growth and planning analysis work.   I am also fortunate to be able to work with a very committed, technically knowledgeable, and diverse team of professionals.   MDP has a long history in advancing GIS in the State and the data and tools we produce are used by a wide array of users in many different industries.  It has also been enjoyable learning more about Maryland. I have learned more about the geography and issues of the State during my 2 years with MDP, than in my previous 20 years as a resident.

What is one of your favorite hobbies?
I enjoy traveling, hiking, and visiting historic communities.  I also play tennis quite a bit in the spring and summer.

What is your favorite GIS book?
I tend to read more online publications and journals than GIS books.  With the technology changing so much it seems as if GIS books are outdated before they are even published.  It’s amazing to me that our industry has progressed to the point that there is now a “GIS for Dummies“ book available from Amazon.  I do enjoy looking at various Atlases from National Geographic and also like ESRI’s compendium of user maps distributed at their annual conference.  In terms of textbooks, I would have to say that Mark Monmonier’s “How to Lie with Maps” is a classic because it illustrates the importance of cartography and map design in conveying information.

1. What professional organizations are you active in?
Currently I am heavily involved in state-level activities through MSGIC and MD iMAP.   I am the Chair-elect for MSGIC so next year should be interesting in that regard.   I also try to participate to the extent that I can with URISA and the American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS).

2. How would you recommend others get involved in GIS?
For those who are just starting out — taking some online tutorials (many are available from ESRI especially), taking a class at one of the local universities, or attending one of the local GIS user group meetings are all good ways to get involved.

3. What resources would you recommend for learning about GIS?
There are a wide variety of resources available.  At the University level Towson, Salisbury, and UMBC have particularly strong programs.  Over the past year I had student interns from the University of Maryland and another from Morgan State and was pleased with their GIS skills.  At the Community College level, I recently had the chance to participate in a class with Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) and was very impressed by their program.

I also think the MSGIC quarterly meeting, local user group meeting, and the ESRI special seminars present great learning opportunities.

4. How has GIS changed since you first started your career?
When I first started the focus was on building the GIS infrastructure.  Now the focus is much more on how to leverage those investments to solve problems.   Everything related to the technology has changed in terms of data availability, applications, user interfaces, systems infrastructure, networking, etc.  The one thing that has not changed is the importance of an organizational commitment and the allocation of resources (budget and people) to successfully implement and utilize the technology.

 5. Where do you see GIS going in the future?
For those that believe recent history is a predictor of future trends, the next few years will be exciting.  Despite the downward economic cycle we have seen major investments in GIS by Microsoft (Bing Maps), Google (Google earth street view, etc.), in data collection technologies (digital cameras, mobile mapping, LiDAR), and in GIS applications, ESRI (ArcGIS Online).   We are seeing a blurring of the differences between consumer-based users of GIS technology and professional GIS.  Within the next 5 years I think there will be an increased business focus to make sure the technology is being used to solve problems in a measurable way.  Maryland’s “StateStat” programs are an example of this.  I also believe we will see a lot more movement towards integration of technologies with GIS serving as the focal point.  Increased emphasis on visualization tools (3D, street level LiDAR and imagery) and the need/desire to support mobile users will also impact our industry.

6. Where do you see the job market going in terms of opportunities in GIS?
I continue to believe the job opportunities in GIS are strong.   I think this is especially true in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region.  The D.C/Maryland/Northern Virginia area, along with the Denver to Colorado Springs hub (home to a lot of the satellite and remote sending/mapping companies) are the two strongest areas in the country for opportunities in public and private sector GIS.

Employment opportunities for people with GIS expertise in fields such as public health, planning and engineering, and the environmental seem to be strong.  In the past 5 years, opportunities in defense- related industries have been tremendous.  It will be interesting to see if that continues over the next 5 years.  I also think the increasing emphasis on professional certifications and accreditations strengthens the industry and increases opportunities for GIS professionals overall.

 7. How did you get interested in the field of Geography/GIS?
I have always been interested in geography and traveling.  After my first physical geography class as a college student at SUNY Plattsburg I changed my major to geography. My interest in computer mapping and GIS has continued since that time.  I became interested in State and local governments application of GIS when I started working for PlanGraphics.

 8. Did/do you have a mentor?  Who?
I have been fortunate over the years to have the support of, and learn from many individual in the GIS community.   A few key people that were influential earlier in my career include:

  • Dr. James Carter from the University of Tennessee:  He encouraged my interest in remote sensing and computer mapping.
  • Mike Kevany from PlanGraphics:  Mike taught me about the importance of the GIS requirements, design, and implementation process and was a mentor in terms of learning how to guide a GIS team.
  • Drew Dedrick (Montgomery County):   Drew’s support enabled me to get a foothold in the GIS community in Maryland.

More recently a lot of people at MDP and throughout the State (Bob Dadd, Graham Petto, Stephanie Martins, Kenny Miller and many others) have served as advisors, in terms of increasing my understanding of planning programs and statewide activities.

In case you missed the second installment of “On the Map,”  check out my interview with Barney Krucoff.

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Posted by Ashley Buzzeo

Reflecting on a Strategic Marketing and Implementation Project for Local Business

May 3, 2012

Sharyn

We’re happy to announce the completion of a 6 month project with Cyberguys, a local technology company providing computer solutions, service and sales.  This was a collaborative effort between 3 groups within DECO – the Center for GIS, the Integrated Marketing Team, and Regional Economic Studies Institute.

The first phase of the project focused on developing a strategy to help Cyberguys expand their reach. To accomplish this, we analyzed who their local competition is, what their services include, and how those businesses pricing structures aligned with Cyberguys. Cyberguys provided us with a comprehensive customer list that we were able to display on a map, allowing us to visualize where the customers live in relation to the retail store. In turn, this allowed them to see exactly where their customers are located – right around the corner or on the other side of town. We also recommended new customer bases to target as well as package pricing that would be attractive to those audience groups. The strategy also included suggested specific media outlets and provided a social strategy that will provide the guidance they need to launch their social platform.

The second phase of the project took our focus onto more tangible items which included messaging, print collateral and a new website. For the messaging, we kept it straight forward so that potential customers would know exactly what the Cyberguys do. We landed on

Cyberguys. Expert Computer Solutions Service and Sales. Priced Right and Hassle Free.

This messaging was integrated with selected imagery on various mediums (print and web) to create consistency in the visual branding. These visuals complimented Cyberguys’ established logo. For the print collateral, we designed two pieces – a direct mail postcard that can be easily updated for specific audiences and a 2 sided flyer that can be printed on demand for the store or business development meetings. We also developed all the copy. To meet Cyberguys’ needs, all of the collateral was designed using Microsoft Publisher allowing Cyberguys to easily maintain their print collateral moving forward. Finally, we developed a website for Cyberguys. We made recommendations on the site’s architecture and reworked copy for the site to work in this new organization. We provided a photo shoot at their store and voila! Their site was ready to be launched. The great thing about their site is that it was created using WordPress and is hosted in their own hosting environment so they were able to integrate some plug-ins and modify the design allowing them to have complete control of their site.

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Posted by Sharyn Grove

On the Map: 9 questions with Barney Krucoff

April 23, 2012

Ashley

As I have been working in the GIS field for 10 years in Maryland, I have met some interesting, talented, intelligent, and motivating GIS colleagues along the way.  Hopefully this blog series will share with you some exciting tidbits of information from each person who has touched my career in some way.

I first met Barney Krucoff at a Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments GIS committee meeting in 2006. At the time, Barney was the GIS manager for Washington DC and I was very impressed with his knowledge of spatial technology and the cohesiveness of DCs GIS. When I heard the news that Barney was coming to work in Maryland, I knew that Maryland GIS would be in good hands.

  Quick Facts about Barney Krucoff

Tell me something fun about your job.
Governor O’Malley has a special interest in geospatial technology and really uses maps and data to manage and lead the state. I bet that I’m the only state GIO who sits in his governor’s senior staff meetings. The challenge is delivering data and applications fast enough.

What is one of your favorite hobbies?
Ultimate Frisbee

Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Washington, DC, and have lived in Bethesda, Maryland since 1995.

What is your favorite GIS book?
To be honest, I don’t read GIS books cover-to-cover. That said, I’m a sucker for books that use transparent pages, like GIS applications use layers, to tell a story about a place.  For example:

  • Cities Then and Now, by Jim Antoniou
  • Transparent Cities, by Brian McGrath

1. What professional organizations are you active in?
I became active in the National State Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) when I became the District of Columbia GIS manager in 2004.  Over the years NSGIC has been a great source of contacts and information. NSGIC also provides benchmarks to measure how a state-level geospatial program is doing, and a little friendly comparison between states never hurts.

Now I’m also becoming involved with the Maryland State Geographic Information Committee (MSGIC). Maryland is lucky to have so many professionals and students interested and active in the organization.

2. How would you recommend others get involved in GIS?
I’m amazed at the quality and quantity of GIS programs in Maryland universities and colleges.  Whether you want to major in GIS or support another specialty by adding GIS knowledge, here are some links:

3. How has GIS changed since you first started your career?
Here is some of the stuff we didn’t have:

  • Data (except TIGER and some DLG)
  • Graphical user interfaces
  •  GPS (it existed, but few civilians had seen it)
  • Email (it existed, but wasn’t widely used)
  • The World Wide Web
  • Did I mention we didn’t have any data?

4. Where do you see GIS going in the future?
I haven’t been all that good at predicting the future of GIS during the first 21 years of my career, but as they say, “past performance is no indication or guarantee of future results,” so there is hope. The obvious trends seem to be the same ones that are moving the IT industry generally:

  • GIS, more than most information technologies, was focused on the public sector. It is now mass market and consumer oriented. The public sector is still adjusting to this shift.
  • Open source software is coming on strong.
  • Crowdsourcing and volunteer geographic information are coming on strong.
  • The cloud hosting is changing business models.
  • Web offerings continue to evolve rapidly from publishing pages to publishing services.
  • Citizen expectations for presentation and quality of government data are rising.

5. Could you explain how/why GIS is important in today’s world?
We are living in a new geologic epoch, the Anthropocene, aka, the Age of Man. Through development, farming, and energy use, humans are now changing the Earth itself and geologic time is accelerating. GIS helps us manage many things today (crime, transportation, health, land use, farms, etc.). What many people don’t yet realize is that now we need to start managing the planet holistically. GIS isn’t a tool in the planetary management tool box, it is the schematic.

6. Where do you see the job market going in terms of opportunities in GIS?
I see the job market remaining strong, but at the same time GIS is becoming less like magic every day.

7. How did you get interested in the field of Geography/GIS?
I was always interested in maps and cities, and I was comfortable with computers. I was already on my way to getting a Master’s in City Planning from Georgia Tech when I took Dr. Bill Drummond’s GIS class in 1990. I knew quickly that I had found my calling.

8. Did/do you have a mentor?  Who?
Many people inspired me, taught me, and helped me establish my career. They include:

My greatest professional inspiration has come from my staff at Michael Baker and the District of Columbia. They are too numerous to mention here.

9. What is one piece of advice you would give to a newbie in the field?
I have never loved the traditional five-part definition of GIS (hardware, software, data, processes, people). It is accurate but too clinical. I prefer a two-part definition: “GIS combines the power of maps with the power of computers.” Now the advice, don’t forget the computer part – particularly relational database management.

In case you missed the second installment of “On the Map,” check out my interview with Kenny Miller.

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Posted by Ashley Buzzeo

Guest Blogger: An Intern’s perspective: Learning web GIS through open source technologies.

April 12, 2012

Guest Blogger: Alex Stapleton

Working as an intern with CGIS has shown me first hand just how significant of a role web GIS plays in our business. Specifically, MD iMap comes to mind. Throughout my internship, I have been tasked with updating and creating metadata files for MD iMap; a job that sounds boring, but sparked an interest in me for wanting to learn more about how exactly our maps are put on the web. The problem was that I didn’t know where to begin.

The purpose of writing this blog is to share some insight and resources I recently came across with those who want to become a little more familiar with increasingly popular field of web GIS and web mapping.

With a little guidance and insight from fellow co-workers and TU professors, I was able to get my hands on a few valuable resources for learning the basics of web GIS. These resources include:

The book Web GIS: Principles and Applications is an excellent place to start for learning the essentials of web GIS. This book covers everything from technical basics, to web services, to mashups, to mobile GIS. Additionally, the book covers applications of web GIS in E-government and E-business. In fact, Maryland is even mentioned in a couple chapters in regards to Governor Martin O’Malley’s Maryland StateStat site. This book is a great introduction for those new to web GIS world, and even for those with working experience in GIS. Personally, I found it very useful for understanding the processes of creating web services and other tasks that I help with at CGIS. This book is chalk full of information without being overly technical and an easy read. I highly recommend it!

OpenLayers is a free open source JavaScript library for creating web mapping applications from scratch.  It’s relatively easy to use, all you need to do is throw in a couple links to different web map services from various servers/APIs such as Google Maps, ESRI ArcGIS or Bing Maps and voila, you have yourself a handy dandy web map! Well…okay, so maybe it’s a little more complicated than that, but with the beginners guide by your side, you will be creating web maps in no time.

I mentioned JavaScript, but there’s no need fret if you aren’t familiar with any programming languages. The OpenLayers beginners guide is your friend here and the best part is that it doesn’t require you to have any prior programming experience, which is great if you are someone like me! The book guides you though the whole process of creating web maps in a step-by-step process, and you learn by doing! As the book says, “Less theory, more results”. This is essentially why I chose this book.

Here is a little example of a basic map I created using OpenLayers:


Seems pretty simple right? The other thing about open layers is that it’s completely customizable and requires no special software to run because it’s run on a web browser. This seems like a winning combination if you ask me.

In sum, I have outlined a couple great book and free tools for understanding and creating web mapping applications. Hopefully, this blog will help some of those out there who looking to learn a new skill or two and break into the world of web GIS, or for those who wish to expand upon and leverage the use of Open Source Technologies.  Soon, you’ll be creating web maps and mashups in no time.

Bio
Alex Stapleton joined CGIS in 2011 as a GIS Technician. He works primarily on the community anchor institution data component of the Maryland Broadband Mapping Initiative. He is pursuing a B.S. at Towson University in a combined Sociology and Geography major, with a minor in Geographic Information Systems.

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Posted by Guest Blogger

On the Map: 6 Questions with Kenny Miller

March 29, 2012

Ashley

As I have been working in the GIS field for 10 years in Maryland, I have met some interesting, talented, intelligent, and motivating GIS colleagues along the way.  Hopefully this blog series will share with you some exciting tidbits of information from each person who has touched my career in some way.

I first met Kenny Miller through early replication centerline efforts between the State, SHA, Esri and CGIS.  I have to admit I was intimidated and somewhat frightened of Kenny’s experience and knowledge in the field, and of course his ability to charm.  Then, as MD iMap began to grow to more than just a vision, I began to work with Kenny more directly and have learned quite a bit from him.  He seemed to place a lot of confidence in my GIS ability, and without people like Kenny, I would not have grown as much as I did both technically and professionally over the past 5 years.

  Quick Facts About Kenny Miller

Tell me something fun about your job.
Achieving “Ah Ha” moments with customers, especially people in positions of influence policy-wise across state government.  Seeing someone get excited about how GIS technology can solve problems, improve workflow and decision making.  Watching their faces light up makes me happy and I enjoy the job.

What is one of your favorite hobbies?
I have always been an outdoors person – hiking, bicycling, canoe/kayak – but sailing, especially racing sailboats – that has always been my favorite.

Where are you from?
Born in Chincoteague, Virginia in what is now Wallops Island Flight Facility.  My folks took me sailing before I was born on the Virginia portion of the Bay.  I spent most of my childhood in Annapolis, Maryland.

1. What professional organizations are you active in?

2. How would you recommend others get involved in GIS?
Students might join a Geography or GIS club at school, attend a local GIS committee meeting, celebrate Geography Week and GIS Day, follow a GIS Blog or get involved in other social media outlets like LinkedIn or Facebook with like-minded people.

3. What resources would you recommend for learning about GIS?
I try to remember that simple is usually better than non-simple.  Start with maps and data freely available on the web.  Use a Google map and pin map your friend’s houses or where they go to school.  Play the “where’s my house” game and explore places around you.  Keep adding new data or exploring tools.

4. How did you get interested in the field of Geography/GIS?
Since I was a small boy I have always viewed my world according to where I was in relation to my surroundings.  I was sailing the family dingy before I was 6 years old and navigating creeks and rivers along the Bay on family cruises.  When I was 9 my new bedroom contained a wallpaper map that covered a wall 8 feet high and 12 feet long (it exists to this day).  For at least 10 years I stared at the map of the world, dreaming of exploring exotic places as I drifted off to sleep. I knew that the continents fit together like puzzle pieces if I could move them long before I learned about continental drift.  In retrospect, it’s no small surprise I majored in Geology while building a sailing program at Old Dominion University. My graduate degree was in Computer Science and that led me into a job opening in a fledgling GIS program within the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.  I suppose I could claim that I’ve been studying spatial relationships my entire life.

5. Did/do you have a mentor?  Who?
My parents taught me sailing and navigation and let me ride my bike all over Annapolis as a kid.  My third grade teacher Mr. Richardson – he taught me the love of reading and asking “why”. My first Geology professor in college (Physical Geology class) which cemented my first career as a Geologist.  Several leaders within the Maryland Department of Natural Resources who supported my efforts to grow GIS within both DNR and the state – they had the vision and belief that my efforts and those of my colleagues were (and still are) the future of how government can make better decisions that relate to the citizens it serves.  Lastly Maryland’s Governor, Martin O’Malley, who listened to an idea I had and launched me into a role I had never anticipated – that of an appointed leader of GIS throughout Maryland.  Their vision, guidance and faith in me have always been inspiring.

6. What is one piece of advice you would give to a newbie in the field?
People rarely are in a position to express clearly and concisely what they want from a map (paper, web map, mapping system).  It’s not that they lack the ability to communicate, it’s just they generally have no knowledge of the possible or opportunity.  Ask them questions.  Lots of Ask questions.    Understand what they are trying to solve.  Speak their language and not GIS-speak.  GIS is all visual – show them a map.

In case you missed the first installment of “On the Map,” check out my interview with Dr. Mike Scott.

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Posted by Ashley Buzzeo

New Caching Tools to Keep In Mind When Using ArcGIS Server 10

March 26, 2012
Jeremy Monn

Jeremy Monn

At least half of my work week involves working with ArcGIS Server. So when my organization upgraded to ArcGIS Server 10 I was naturally curious what improvements were made to the software for map service caching purposes.  The most well-known and highly publicized caching-related improvement for ArcGIS Server 10 is the compact cache, which groups individual tiles into bundle files instead of storing each tile separately.  This modification not only helps shorten caching time, but it also shortens the time required to copy a cache from one location to another.

While the introduction of the compact cache option is important to know about, there are two lesser-known improvements that caught my eye which could be useful to those who regularly create or work with cached map services.

Mixed Tile Format
When configuring a map cache one needs to decide what image format to use for the cache tiles and what one decides will determine whether or not portions of a tile can be transparent.  If one selects JPEG then none of the tiles, even those along the cache periphery that have large areas that should be transparent, will have transparency.  This is an issue when one wants to overlay two cached images on top of one another.  In ArcGIS Server 10 one can work around this by using the mixed tile format, which provides the needed transparency in periphery tiles by storing them as PNG32 and storing all other tiles as JPEG.

Export / Import Map Server Cache Tools
Two tools available in ArcToolbox in ArcGIS 10 that could be very useful to those creating or modifying cached map services are the Export Map Server Cache and Import Map Server Cache tools.  The name of each tool clearly identifies each tool’s function.  However, what might not be so clear is the usefulness of these tools in the caching process.  Using these tools together provides the ability to collaboratively build a cache.  For example, one user could export a specific portion of a map service’s cache that they updated and share the update with others who can then incorporate the update in their own versions of the same map cache by using the Import Map Cache tool.  Additionally, the Export Map Cache tool can be used to export the cache to a folder that ArcGIS Desktop users can access. The ArcGIS Desktop users can pull in the cache as a raster dataset, thus eliminating the need to be connected to the ArcGIS Server that hosts the cache’s parent map service.

For more information on all improvements associated with ArcGIS Server 10, refer to ESRI’s What’s new in ArcGIS Server 10 page.

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Posted by Jeremy Monn

On the Map: 7 questions with Michael S. Scott, PhD

March 1, 2012

Ashley

I’m excited to bring you the first in my blog series with GIS colleagues in Maryland. As I have been working in the GIS field for 10 years in Maryland, I have met some interesting, talented, intelligent, and motivating GIS colleagues along the way.  Hopefully this blog series will share with you some exciting tidbits of information from each person who has touched my career in some way.

I first met Dr. Mike Scott when we started working on the Maryland Broadband Mapping Initiative project together.  He is outgoing and incredibly knowledgeable in the field of GIS and geography.  Throughout this project I have found myself looking forward to hearing his viewpoint on a topic or asking him for his opinion.  Dr. Scott’s advice is far reaching, and his passion for teaching and leadership with MSGIC is admirable.

   Quick Facts about Mike Scott

Tell me something fun about your job.
Working with young people, teaching them about the power and possibilities of Geographic Information Systems, couldn’t be more fun!

What is one of your favorite hobbies?
I love solving jigsaw puzzles, although I don’t have much time for it.

Where are you from?
I was born just outside Washington, DC but my parents moved to the Eastern Shore to raise chickens when I was 3.  So I grew up on a chicken farm in Hebron, a little town near Salisbury, Maryland.

What is your favorite GIS book?

Analytical and Computer Cartography by Keith Clarke (1995).  It was formative for me as a GIS professional.

1. What resources would you recommend for learning about GIS?
I think it depends on your goal and your starting point.  Obviously, I’m biased towards a higher education-based approach for preparing for a GIS career.  I continue to believe and promote the idea that Geographic Information Science is actually specialized applied Geography – the science of solving problems using geographic information.  But I send a lot of true GIS neophytes to ESRI’s Virtual Campus to truly get started.  The online courses are well-crafted and begin to allow people who have had limited experience with GIS to begin to ask the right questions necessary to find a GIS program that fits their career goals and learning styles.

2. How has GIS changed since you first started your career?
Wow – a lot.  When I began in GIS (1992), there was no Internet to speak of and no World Wide Web.  Arc/INFO was manipulated with a sequential set of text commands and simple polygon overlay processes needed to be run overnight on stunningly expensive Sun SPARC UNIX workstations.  The only organizations using GIS were federal and (large) state agencies, universities, and major corporations.  Nearly any data of reasonable quality had to be created hunched over a massive backlit digitizing tablet.  To show a map in a slide presentation, we literally took photographs of our computer screens in darkened room!  Yes, things have changed a bit.

3. Where do you see GIS going in the future?
Curiously, I think it difficult to predict.  I say that because the trajectories of today’s GIS trends (ubiquitous personal location devices, a plethora of open source data and software, massive leaps in mobile computing capabilities, increasing sophistication of predictive spatial models, spatial query language eliminating the need for cumbersome server-side geoprocessing tasks, voluminous data collection devices at micro-resolutions) are all disruptive and all are accelerating.  I think we can be certain of a few universal truths.  1) Teams of problem solvers (in a huge variety of industries) are going to need people who can help explore the spatial aspects of their problems. 2) Spatial data pedigree and therefore quality and appropriateness is going to be critical to document in order for disparate users to find the data useful in their application. 3) Understanding how the GIS reaches its conclusions will be key to applying it effectively; the GIS as a “black-box” will not suffice for solving complex spatial problems.

4. Could you explain how/why GIS is important in today’s world?
I believe we’re going to look back in a hundred years and recognize that we lived in a time where several of the most important technologies ever devised were invented – specifically the Internet, Global Positioning Systems, and wireless networking.  Being able to know where you are on the surface of the planet, communicate that via a wireless network, and use that location as a key to unlock the whole of human consciousness currently being collected and stored on the Internet will continue to reinvent the way we live, work, and play.  GIS is absolutely central to linking those revolutionary technologies and making any one of them effective.

5. Where do you see the job market going in terms of opportunities in GIS?
There will be several repercussions in the GIS job market from the explosion of trends I described above.  First, I do think that the expansion of jobs titled “GIS Analyst” will continue to grow at a slowing pace and then stagnate all together.   The skills necessary to solve spatial problems will continue to grow in demand at an increasing rate, but they will likely be combined with some other knowledge base, like business analytics, or biometrics, or urban dynamics.  Second, I believe there will be an increased demand for managers of geographic information resources and managers who can supervise interdisciplinary teams to solve complex problems.  That’s why I helped develop the Master of Science in GIS Management at Salisbury University.  Third, I do see a resurgence in the need for people who can communicate spatial problems and solutions effectively.  The lack of specialists in cartographic visualization is already being felt across many different industries.  Making multi-dimensional, complex spatial data understandable and transformative to both specialists and generalists is a set of skills that all can learn but only a few can master.

6. How did you get interested in the field of Geography/GIS?
Looking back on it after the fact, I was always interested in maps and patterns in the landscape.  I channeled this interest into history in high school, because I didn’t know geography was even a stand-alone academic subject.  After I took a sophomore-level “Weather and Climate” course at Salisbury State University, I suddenly realized why I was mildly dissatisfied with my major in History.  History was dead…Geography was alive!  This was a discipline that was trying to answer the questions about why the world works the way it does, in the most general sense.  For me, that drive to understand why the patterns of the world manifest themselves the way they do continues to be a powerful motivating force.  I later learned that my interest in computers (I bought a Commodore 64 in 1984 with money I saved from working on neighboring farms all summer!) could be combined with Geography and Cartography.  It wasn’t until I reached the University of South Carolina in the fall of 1992 that I heard of GIS.  My wife then decided for me that GIS seemed much more likely to lead to gainful employment than my first choice of historical geography.  A career was born…and a marriage was saved!

7. What is one piece of advice you would give to a newbie in the field?
One word of advice that I press on all my students:  Internships!  In today’s economy, people who have zero real-world experience will likely receive zero calls for interviews.  If you are in school at any level, talk to your teachers or advisors about internship opportunities.  If they don’t know of any, make your own by talking with local non-profit organizations that you admire or businesses that you or your friends work for.  Ask about putting their data up on websites like ArcGIS.com or MapBox.com.  Offer to geocode membership directories or customer lists.  With products like Open Street Map or Google Sketch-Up, you can even create your own self-directed internship to improve your local street data or create a 3-D spatial model of your community.  This kind of initiative will get you noticed by employers and graduate schools – and from there your career in GIS will go nowhere but up!

1 Comment | Education, Mapping | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ashley Buzzeo

Readying MD iMap for Mobile Consumption and Enhancing the GIS Service Search Capability

February 6, 2012

Ashley

More and more MD iMap users are accessing applications and searching for data using mobile devices.  In fact, several State agencies have purchased iPads for their employees to replace their Blackberry phones.  To accommodate this growing user base, CGIS generated a mobile friendly version of the Portal website and a mobile friendly version for MD iMap application, GreenPrint.  Also, a search capability on the MD iMap portal has been set in place that allows users to find GIS services on MD iMap in a fast, up to date and easy to use manner.

Mobile GreenPrint Application or http://www.mdimap.us/greenprintmobile

This mobile-ready application for GreenPrint allows users to turn on and off the data layers, view a dynamic legend, change basemaps between streets and aerial imagery, use an identify tool, and search by location.  The GreenPrint application determines how the user is connecting – either with a mobile device or tablet or via a computer – and then launches the appropriate mobile site or the full mapping application.

Mobile Website for the MD iMap Portal or http://www.mdimap.us/imapmobile

This mobile-ready application for the MD iMap portal provides:

  • service alerts
  • information on how to connect
  • service URLs
  • event information
  • link to the Twitter account
  • GreenPrint mobile mapping application.

The MD iMap Portal determines how the user is connecting – either with a mobile device or tablet or via a computer – and then launches the appropriate mobile site or the full website.

GIS Service Search Capability

Previously, the MD iMap portal displayed a PDF of available GIS services.  The PDF was often out of date and hard to maintain.  The portal also displayed metadata records by map service name. This began to grow and was a somewhat tedious task to find a record.  The new webpage dynamically lists the GIS services and other information provided utilizing the ArcGIS REST endpoint for each service. Users can browse for services by typing in a keyword or expanding the folders in the catalog tree.  Clicking on a map service name launches a pop-up box with the service name, a service description, an image of the data, and a link to the service details as well as metadata records.

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Posted by Ashley Buzzeo

ArcGIS Server 10 Migration and WFS Services

December 20, 2011
Jeremy

Jeremy Monn

As readers of Ashley Buzzeo’s latest blog post already know, Towson University’s Center for GIS (CGIS) has migrated its hosted ArcGIS Servers from ArcGIS Server 9.3 to ArcGIS Server 10.  As the migration took place all GIS services were reviewed to make sure they were functioning properly.  While most services were converted without issue a handful would not start post-migration.  After several hours of troubleshooting, the problem was identified as being related to a unique subset of WFS-enabled map services.

What was interesting about this problem was that several WFS-enabled map services worked properly after the migration while a few did not.  Knowing this, I knew that the problem’s solution existed in understanding how the functioning and malfunctioning WFS-enabled map services differed.   By comparing the information contained in the REST endpoints for a functioning and malfunctioning WFS-enabled map service I noticed one difference: the functioning WFS-enabled map service had unique field aliases while the malfunctioning WFS-enabled map service had two fields that had the same alias.  Making the malfunctioning map service’s field aliases unique solved the problem as I was able to start the service and confirm it worked properly.   All the other malfunctioning WFS-enabled map services were also explained by duplicate field aliases.

While this blog touched on only one issue related to ArcGIS Server 10 migration, there are many other issues that one may experience.  Visit ESRI’s Migration to ArcGIS Server 10 page as a starting point for answers to other migration-related questions you may have.

Leave a Comment » | IT, Mapping, Web Services | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Jeremy Monn

Guest Blog: A Time to Give – ArcGIS Online Research Leads to Volunteerism Mapping Application

December 13, 2011

Michael Bentivegna

Doesn’t it seem like the pace of life is getting faster and faster, and that technology is at least supporting this change, if not causing it? With every time-saving productivity gain that technology provides, the expectations for the speed and the amount of work to be completed in any time frame seem to just increase.  Within the field of GIS (Geographic Information Systems), this expectation is being driven by consumers that want to search for and view information in a spatial context (a map). In the world of media mashups, the publishing of new GIS data and applications is expected in a few weeks, if not days, and updates are expected to be nearly instantaneous.

For GIS professionals, Esri’s ArcGIS Online comes to the rescue or further enables this trend (depending upon your perspective). This platform enables the discovery, sharing, and display of GIS data in a free cloud-based software-as-a-service, social GIS ecosystem. In plain speak, it allows you to create map data mashups with great Esri hosted/developed basemaps and lots of national and global scale GIS data. In the past few months, Esri has added the capability to upload basic spreadsheets with address information and other data in GIS formats that are processed and made available through the site. They even offer templates to provide simple applications with functions like search, measure, identify, and social media integration. All of this can be shared within a group of your choosing or out to the greater public, embedded in your website. Exciting stuff!

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to dig into ArcGIS Online so I could share the new capabilities to CGIS’s staff in a brown bag lunch, and I am glad I did. Later the very same day, I was in a meeting with the Maryland State Geographic Information Officer (GIO), Barney Krucoff, where we were asked to assist with a hurry-up effort to push information about volunteer locations out to the public for the holidays. After listening to the requirements of rapid and ongoing development of volunteer location data by interns and the need for a simple application to find the sites, I mentioned that this was a perfect project for ArcGIS Online. With the go-ahead given to investigate, I took a draft cut of the volunteer locations that the interns had compiled in Google Docs and within a few hours had the data set up on ArcGIS Online for review. Within a week of data refinement by the interns, investigation of the data update workflow process, and tweaking of the template application, we had the end product mapping application ready to be embedded in Governor O’Malley’s Maryland Stronger Together website. With the site up and running, the interns were trained to edit and update the data using ArcGIS Online tools, and the site was released to the public a few days later. You can see the map under the locate charitable organizations near you link in the website above. This is a great example of success in meeting the new accelerated expectations, and in this case, with free hosting.

I happily followed an interoffice email thread a few weeks after the Maryland Stronger Together site was launched, wherein team members were looking for an organization for DECO to donate food to this year (as we have done for the past several years). Without any prompting on my part, the site was used to find the nearest location to donate. I hope that in this time of need and giving, this tool might make it that much easier for you to find a place to donate to or to volunteer for during this busy holiday season.

View the Maryland Stronger Together map in mobile device.

3 Comments | Community Outreach, IT, Mapping, Web Services | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Guest Blogger

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