Jobes Henderson GIS Blog

Jobes Henderson GIS Blog http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com Breaking Ground Breaking Boundaries posterous.com Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:07:54 -0800 GIS Day Follow up & Pictures http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/RRNwVK--BRg/gis-day-follow-up-and-pictures http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/gis-day-follow-up-and-pictures <p> <p>Yesterday Jobes Henderson & Associates hosted an Open House in celebration of GIS Day. The festivities included several hands on GIS demonstrations, GIS related posters and maps, and of course the obligatory GIS Day cake. We were very pleased to see so many of our colleagues and friends at the event and enjoyed chatting with them about GIS. </p> <p>Our GIS demonstrations were geared toward GIS users of all levels and included examples of web maps from the City of Greeley, Colorado (special thanks to Brian Sullivan, @Taliesn on twitter, for his gracious cooperation) and the City of Heath, Ohio. An ArcGIS Explorer demonstration for Central Ohio was also highlighted and shared on a projector so attendees could watch on as others explored the map. Lastly, two ArcMap demonstrations illustrated GIS as a problem solving, prevention, and maintenance tool.</p> <p>Thanks to all those who found time in their busy schedules to join us!</p> <p><br /> </p><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/acQ1y8CHDoETBi6En5QEsXdftedbK14X0osDvakqgpTaT5Z9PJtYolxD0I8b/DSCF2477.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf2477" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/DYDuNlWDbwdMjhIpIlRdDdLFPfq4wccQIXVhXhsHQjqNLbL62XIWly1g0jcL/DSCF2477.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/4pD3yBZISNmXR7VHNXxdgXHMoe01m2dOCLXfnPqwR3QROQ2M3ceQrXgm8Uwb/DSCF2478.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf2478" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/51EZDfxL1jFAdx4S0um1U75k3xedglwfqFF3ZGSM8DPTbUPYaJbC5SRiJTvM/DSCF2478.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/qHsJtAA0sXlf1KMkblvonCmbWuM1pXvVJt1N9gp3kirlQSLEz54L4pJltpLW/DSCF2479.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf2479" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/5pZjkDlMH1YIDWjMhMTDsSYE6vgZ8Ue6QMoSfyalqbXEM6fdroPr8qwwYZNX/DSCF2479.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/cqioPd3jfZRY2tDvtcrXAG682rFracxBosCvemCtZKwjfTdX7kDub0EVIUvV/DSCF2480.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf2480" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/cKl6NmrlE8JuumaI6arkNLFgAmDhwLXiB9Cr0TiQ1nj3fmFnEZFGAsf84kDF/DSCF2480.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/aRFnnWdnFiQq8q2zMNwPOZ2QJ1X9vpJLatAQj2EmLjQux3i89ztnlgCu2i4W/DSCF2481.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf2481" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/JYYyooODxLL9vjNVFE3GcLJjgkYPXLfbija7PhZiuzGoA99UXKKDYew22QQD/DSCF2481.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/3MTE0w3VkfQO6AxJfZ6OUIVcuR0EnRXvyNpsOFJqRuR275hoaOER5o2ZYbQH/DSCF2482.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf2482" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/RzTndYsvl2D2NddX6qNHS8Nt8j8Mq3lT76x9JTaTrZroyWz507XVbKXj9jOH/DSCF2482.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/07lQaqxhlqjAQbqtxOQsEw8Awzq7blgflRcSfZiiwPwXwQPx0u519JtLKSRO/DSCF2483.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf2483" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/zuNMOg7WwBSIt8JLIHI3nLeVTVOGgxllOlfbuU8h2bFOuzujdv7RfNhYG2wT/DSCF2483.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/gis-day-follow-up-and-pictures">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/gis-day-follow-up-and-pictures">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/gis-day-follow-up-and-pictures#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/RRNwVK--BRg" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/gis-day-follow-up-and-pictures Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:46:00 -0800 Happy GIS Day! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/qzGYDGAxlDU/happy-gis-day http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/happy-gis-day <p> <p>Happy GIS Day to all, and a special welcome and thank you to those who attended Jobes Henderson & Associates’ GIS Day open house!</p> <div> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/happy-gis-day">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/happy-gis-day#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/qzGYDGAxlDU" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/happy-gis-day Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:30:00 -0800 How to Find a GIS Day Event Near You http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/CsmqUSg47mA/how-to-find-a-gis-day-event-near-you-gis-gisd http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/how-to-find-a-gis-day-event-near-you-gis-gisd <p> <p>I’ve previously discussed what GIS Day is (<a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-count-down-to-gis-day">Count Down to GIS Day</a>), so with five days to go until the big day, the question is: What are you doing for GIS Day? Are you one of the numerous organizations hosting event? Or are you interested in attending a GIS Day event but don’t know where to go? We’ve got you covered!</p> <p>Jobes Henderson & Associates is planning an event for GIS Day and has already sent out invitations with more details. If you  haven’t received yours yet, contact me and I’ll make sure you get the details. If you’re not in our area, you can search for events near you using the <a href="http://www.gisday.com/apps/search.cfm">GIS Day Event Search</a> on the GIS Day website. There’s also a map (of course!) you can view to search for an event. The <a href="http://edcommunity.esri.com/maps/community/index.html#app=32ee&4165-selectedIndex=1">GIS Day Events Around the World</a> map also shares locations for the <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/spreading-gis-knowledge-the-geomentor-program">GeoMentor Program</a> so you’ll want to make sure you click on the tab on the right that says “GIS Day Events.” That will take you to the map the shares event locations.</p> <p>If you’re hosting a GIS Day event, don’t forget to <a href="http://www.gisday.com/events/register.html">register your event</a> on the GIS Day website!</p> <p>Have fun at whatever you decide to do for GIS Day!</p> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/how-to-find-a-gis-day-event-near-you-gis-gisd">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/how-to-find-a-gis-day-event-near-you-gis-gisd#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/CsmqUSg47mA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/how-to-find-a-gis-day-event-near-you-gis-gisd Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:23:00 -0800 Improving your GIS Presentations http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/5NE7lveOOSA/blog-update-improving-your-gis-presentations http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-improving-your-gis-presentations <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_file_embed'> <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-improving-your-gis-presentations"><img alt="" src="http://posterous.com/images/filetypes/pdf.png" /></a> <div class='p_embed_description'> <strong>Best Practices- Great Presentations.pdf</strong> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/UjMLpCD5ByI8VVGrgaq6HeHi9R4q2YOff30hqOjZnkHH9LCbrdnotxyKhRds/Best_Practices-_Great_Presenta.pdf">Download this file</a> </div> </div> </p> <p>Published with the permission of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (<a href="http://www.smps.org/"><span style="color: windowtext;">www.smps.org</span></a>) from the October 2009 issue of <em>Marketer. </em>All rights reserved.</p> <div> <p>Ok, so this is a GIS blog, so why am I sharing an article about presentations? Well, at some point in our careers, I’m sure we’ll be in the position to give a presentation, so the information shared in this article is something that <span style="text-decoration: underline;">anyone</span> can benefit from. Also, Mr. Sawa’s comments about visuals really caught my attention since any presentation a GIS professional does should be positively filled with visuals.</p> <p>This article helps prove why good basic cartographic skills should be employed when creating a map, especially if that map is submitted in a map gallery or going into a PowerPoint presentation. Our maps should be created to represent the data we are showing in a fair, clear, and concise manner. Probably one of the most difficult tasks is to make the data clear enough for anyone to read whether they have knowledge in the subject matter or not. When you put your map in a PowerPoint presentation that is projected onto a larger screen it can became even more difficult to keep your map clear.</p> <p>Often times projecting your map makes detail fuzzy, this is why bold colors and lines are necessary in order for your viewers to read your map. And simplify! Simplify your map so you have room to make lines bolder without interfering with neighboring features – this often goes along with keeping your map concise. I can’t recall how many presentations I’ve seen where the authors did not consider what their presentation looks like when projected on a big screen. It’s a shame too, because so many good messages are lost on poor quality maps. For this reason, you should always, always, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">always</span> test out your exported map images on the projector to see how your audience will ultimately view your maps.</p> <p>Mr. Sawa also mentions using contrasting colors, yellow or other light colors similar to it, should not be used on a white (or other light colored) background, this would be another peeve of mine. When viewed through a projector, it is nearly impossible to see. I’m actually not a fan of using those light colors in presentations anyway, but when used on a black background, for example, it could be effective.</p> <p>Exporting resolution is probably the most common “mistake” I see on PowerPoint map images. These are the images that look pixilated or fuzzy. This is a relatively simple problem to fix since you can change the resolution to a higher dpi value when exporting your map from ArcMap to create a higher quality image that displays nicer in PowerPoint.</p> <p>Remember to keep your maps in mind during your presentation brainstorming. Hopefully doing this will save you work down the road when you preview your presentation and discover your lines aren’t thick enough or your colors are too light. Also, as with any presentation, you should practice running through your content and this includes reviewing all your slides and graphics not only on your computer but also on a projector ot whatever medium your audience will be viewing the presentation through. The best advice I’ve ever been given regarding presentations: <em>Put yourself in your audiences’ shoes</em>. It really will sort out some of the little hiccups that can take a lot away from your presentation.</p> <p>Good luck!</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-improving-your-gis-presentations">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-improving-your-gis-presentations#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/5NE7lveOOSA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-improving-your-gis-presentations Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:14:00 -0700 ArcGIS Desktop 9.4 Beta http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/BkZdN7N6BW0/arcgis-desktop-94-beta-gis-arcgis94 http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/arcgis-desktop-94-beta-gis-arcgis94 <p> <p>Just as many others have, we downloaded ArcGIS Desktop 9.4 Beta software this week. We participated in the beta testing for 9.3 and decided to join in again for 9.4, so I signed up for the beta testing program when I was at the UC last summer.</p> <p>Due to a project deadline this week, I didn’t get as much time to devote to exploring 9.4 as I would have liked. But I did find the installation to be a breeze. I’ve uninstalled and installed several other ESRI upgrades in the past, and it’s starting to become old hat for me, but I think this was one of the easiest installs yet. It probably took me less than 2 hours to get everything uninstalled, installed, (re)registered, and looking to appropriate servers for liceneses.</p> <p>Unfortunately for me, my current work project was data intensive and ran very slowly on 9.3.1, so I can’t say that 9.4 wasn’t slow to start with too. In fact, due to the slowness and  getting used to the new look and orientation of my toolbars, I got quite frustrated with the program and myself because I couldn’t work at the speed I normally work at. However, after an hour or two of working in 9.4, I started getting used to some of the new functions and began to really like the new look and some of the new functions.</p> <p>I look forward to learning more about what 9.4 brings next week. My technician will get 9.4 installed on her computer and start working in it as well. I’m sure we’ll both be finding lots of neat (and frustrating?) new things!</p> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/arcgis-desktop-94-beta-gis-arcgis94">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/arcgis-desktop-94-beta-gis-arcgis94#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/BkZdN7N6BW0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/arcgis-desktop-94-beta-gis-arcgis94 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:27:00 -0700 ArcGIS Explorer Tips http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/loc17xp3EcI/blog-update-arcgis-explorer-tips-gis http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-arcgis-explorer-tips-gis <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_file_embed'> <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-arcgis-explorer-tips-gis"><img alt="" src="http://posterous.com/images/filetypes/pdf.png" /></a> <div class='p_embed_description'> <strong>MoreSharingOptions.pdf</strong> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/Ch6p2lLUdKKVbIi7no2Flt2iyFakS5G7j0ltGCH9ObGsyttKe9t6ReHBtc7d/MoreSharingOptions.pdf">Download this file</a> </div> </div> </p> <p></p> <div> <p>The most recent issue of <a href="http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/index.html">ArcUser Magazine</a> from ESRI includes an article titled <em>More Sharing Options</em>. I wanted to share this since it goes along with two of my previous posts <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-sharing-your-gis-data-with-non-gi">Sharing your GIS Data with Non-GIS Users</a> and <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/new-version-of-arcgis-explorer-released-gis">New Version of ArcGIS Explorer Released</a>.  In the article, the folks at ESRI talk more in depth about sharing GIS data with the use of ArcGIS Explorer. It also discusses geoprocessing tools and basemaps available through ArcGIS Online as well as Bing Maps. My favorite part of ArcGIS Explorer are the new presentation tools which they also talk about.</p> <p> </p> <p>Take a look for yourself, it’s a good read full of information!</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-arcgis-explorer-tips-gis">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-arcgis-explorer-tips-gis#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/loc17xp3EcI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-arcgis-explorer-tips-gis Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:16:00 -0700 Tips for Obtaining GIS Data http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/RErPWXBttWE/blog-update-tips-for-obtaining-gis-data http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-tips-for-obtaining-gis-data <p> <p>Recently, a California County was ordered to pay $500,000 for trying to charge an organization $250,000 for requested GIS data. <span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/search/ci_13508253?IADID&nclick_check=1">See news article here.</a></span>  This struck me since I rarely see data acquisition fees above $100. How on earth did they come up with $250,000? Where was this money going if anyone did actually pay that astronomical fee for the data?</p> <p>Many States have Public Record laws, often called Freedom of Information legislation or Sunshine Laws, making data available to the public. There are sometimes caveats to data requests, such as they must be made in writing, or your intent for the data use must be shared to ensure the data will not be used for malicious purposes. It is not uncommon for Government organizations to charge a fee for the data request.  Usually the fee isn’t terrible and it often covers the cost of materials used to duplicate the data and postage fees. Over the past several years, it seems more government agencies are making their data available for download (for free) through their website.</p> <p>To help those who may be new to requesting GIS data from public organizations, I have a few tips.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style=""><span style="">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt;">       </span></span><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Do not</span></strong> ever pay $250,000 for data! Be prepared to pay a nominal fee, but honestly, most of the organizations I come in contact with now who still charge for the data, are charging less than $50.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style=""><span style="">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt;">       </span></span>If an agency does charge an amount you are not comfortable paying for, try looking around online first. There are a lot of GIS data clearinghouses available today making it easier to share data with the public. For example, the State of Ohio has several sites with many different types of data available for download now. Probably the most useful being the OSIP website that has aerial photography and LiDAR data available for download.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style=""><span style="">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt;">       </span></span>Be prepared to share the reason you are requesting the data. In fact, I’ve witnessed smoother discussions with government employees when I share why I’m requesting the data as soon as I contact the individual.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style=""><span style="">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt;">       </span></span>Taking #3 one step further, if you are requesting the data because of a project you are working on for a government organization that is beneath/within the organization you are requesting the data from, very often the data will be supplied to the smaller organization at no charge. So if they try to charge, ask if you are exempt. It may come down that the project manager for the organization you are completing the work for will have to request the data for you.</p> <p>Basically, you want to be smart about your data requests. Obviously you don’t want to make the organization sharing their information think you’re up to no good, which could lead to a visit from the FBI if they do. If you think the fee they’re asking for is a bit high, politely ask if they have other data acquisition options that are less expensive (i.e. an ftp or website, picking the data up in person, etc.). The process should not be terribly expensive, definitely not $250,000.</p> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-tips-for-obtaining-gis-data">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-tips-for-obtaining-gis-data#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/RErPWXBttWE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-tips-for-obtaining-gis-data Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:35:00 -0700 Benefits of More Government Involvement in GIS http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/PnKGCXzuYbc/bolg-update-benefits-of-more-government-invol http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/bolg-update-benefits-of-more-government-invol <p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">James Fee’s </span><a href="http://www.spatiallyadjusted.com/2009/09/22/we-need-a-cash-for-clunkers-program-to-rid-us-of-old-busted-web-gis/"><span style="font-family: Calibri; color: #800080; font-size: small;">Cash for Clunkers GIS blog</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> entry got me thinking about the current state of GIS, particularly for small governments. James suggests the Federal Government create opportunities to help fund improvements and updates to older web mapping that has been neglected to the point of incredible slowness or outright failure to work. I agree this is an issue which can be extremely frustrating when looking for data to help some of our internal projects. But what about the organizations who don’t have a large amount of money to put toward costly internet mapping services, hardware and software? These organizations include the likes of small local governments and even some county governments. They too, along with their community members could benefit from online mapping. Some don’t even have digital mapping created yet to put online. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Personally, I’d also like to see more funding opportunities for GIS projects ranging from simple GIS creation all the way to more complex projects such as online mapping applications. These different types of mapping projects would help create job opportunities, whether it is a newly created or additional GIS positions in an organization, sales for software and hardware companies or new projects for consultants. In an increasingly more social society, maps are discussed and relied upon more frequently than they have in the past. Adding additional maps for the public’s use would add to resources available to community members and can also help promote locations or events.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Why should the Federal Government care and assist with this? As already mentioned, it would help create additional jobs or retain current ones which in this economy is a good thing. It would also help create a more detailed National Map which all levels of government and individuals could benefit from. There are so many organizations that could use the digital maps from auditors to emergency response teams, even the local residents who are trying to figure out which polling location they need to visit this Election Day.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/bolg-update-benefits-of-more-government-invol">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/bolg-update-benefits-of-more-government-invol#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/PnKGCXzuYbc" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/bolg-update-benefits-of-more-government-invol Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:27:00 -0700 Countdown to GIS Day http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/uemetditRqQ/blog-update-count-down-to-gis-day http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-count-down-to-gis-day <p> <p> </p> <div> <p>GIS Day is quickly approaching! Mark your calendars, if you haven’t already, for November 18, 2009! So, just what is<em> </em>GIS Day?</p> <p>GIS Day was created to promote the significance and use of GIS. First started 11 years ago; it coincides with The National Geographic Society’s Geography Awareness Week.  The primary sponsors for the event include the National Geographic Society, Association of American Geographers (AAG), University Consortium for Geographic Information Science, USGS, The Library of Congress, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and ESRI.  <a href="http://www.gisday.com/about/index.html"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Source</span></a></p> <p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ftuG9nbS5nI" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="417" width="500"></iframe></p> <p>GIS Day is celebrated around the world by GIS professionals, teachers, students, and many others.  At schools, the celebrations often include special geography related activities such as a Geography Treasure Hunt, or an oversized puzzle assembled in teams, along with discussions of GIS and examples if possible. Universities will often invite alumni to visit the campus and share their GIS work experiences and ask students to participate in a map gallery. In professional atmospheres, companies will invite friends and colleagues to an open house where GIS demonstrations are often performed. No matter where the event is held, there’s almost always a Geography/GIS themed cake or baked good.</p> <p>People can get very creative, all in the fun of spreading knowledge about something they are very passionate about, GIS. The folks in Austin, TX put themselves out there in 2007 when they came up with this song for GIS day:</p> <p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iKHc9iub5Fw" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="417" width="500"></iframe></p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/gJ4op3gkEdYMjonI1m4AEMY00Tj1U66sGeqPl4khxGuskqKlBrCgtcj4RkUH/gisday_color.jpg"><img alt="Gisday_color" height="248" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/95QAwdJUC1UIzdyG9znDi0iTmkeheXltjylUopGA5yAFUHIj8HA5cWvPX4D9/gisday_color.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <img alt="Bulgaria-cake" height="221" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/B1lt88Y7UPK2xDzHQpxcwx4l4seqjhKIxFlvK1v6JuGZOfbRjGkQEU6vLsLh/bulgaria-cake.jpg" width="300" /> <img alt="Forsyth-cake1" height="325" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/eWmmlBwXVgB7Vv6gvsmDlQEO6QuolGrM37uUiEodG4TCKQsS7EuYhlpy170C/forsyth-cake1.jpg" width="300" /> <img alt="Mclean-county-illinois2" height="428" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/W3hdkILg0eIS6WyEgHTTNiurhhhGTEMEg5DZOkmwyMvxzRGnRYSBBKnaazKe/mclean-county-illinois2.jpg" width="300" /> <img alt="Pagis-ark-cake" height="274" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/IZwQs11aXdtRsWhwenbpasU7IFJ3iRPpPmvtwm5BsEINGjekrahuBhSNPus5/pagis-ark-cake.jpg" width="300" /> <img alt="Savannah-georgia-cake" height="355" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/m2dmvMNqka7oNxg9PpaYqs4wQEbXjiqTe7IsYcc0t0aj1MpwftT7hJvzThae/savannah-georgia-cake.jpg" width="300" /> <img alt="Alaska-dnr-cake" height="306" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/le11uzbR811VnLeBCjNjq6oy6GL00syWzTci7MKljS0SrAEuSNz8EEGRZWxs/alaska-dnr-cake.jpg" width="300" /> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-count-down-to-gis-day">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> </p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-count-down-to-gis-day">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-count-down-to-gis-day#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/uemetditRqQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-count-down-to-gis-day Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:33:00 -0700 Sharing your GIS Data with Non-GIS Users #GIS http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/YwgPWoAkD1U/blog-update-sharing-your-gis-data-with-non-gi http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-sharing-your-gis-data-with-non-gi <p> <p> </p> <div> <p>In light of a discussion about the relationship between CAD and GIS users that occurred on twitter today, I’m going discuss some of the ways we can share GIS data with non-GIS users. As GIS professionals, we want to share our data with others, but sometimes we can be very protective of it since a lot of time and effort has often gone in to creating wonderful GIS databases. We’ve all made those mistakes as a beginner that set us back a couple hours, or even days worth of work and we know how easy it is to do when you don’t fully understand the data or the program. It’s reasons like that, which make us hesitant to give just anyone access to our data. The ultimate solution is when we can share our data, but still have complete control over what sort of changes are made to it. Sounds like it might be kind of tricky, right? Actually it’s pretty easy with some of today’s technology.</p> <p> At Jobes Henderson, we have less GIS users than we have AutoCAD or Microstation users, but we have a lot more GIS data and cover more area with our GIS data than we do most of our CAD or Microstation data. For this reason, many of the engineers and surveyors come to us for base mapping data for their projects or to answer simple questions about existing structures in a project area.</p> <p> We use ESRI’s Data Interoperability extension to export data into CAD or Microstation drawings when the data is needed as a base map. Otherwise, a couple years ago, we started using published maps in our office. Published maps were a nice addition for our office since it gave the engineers access to GIS data in a GIS program – ArcReader. This allowed them to see the data as it was originally created to be viewed. An added bonus with ArcReader is the program is free to download from ESRI’s website (you only need the Publisher extension to create published maps), which meant we could have as many ArcReader users we wanted without an added expense. ArcReader is a read only program which means none of the engineers could make changes to the data, but instead could request changes through the GIS department. I liked this aspect so I would be aware of all changes that occurred to the data I am responsible for.</p> <p> A published map file or .pmf, is a map that is read with ArcReader. Once created, published map files do not allow the user to change any of the data or the way the data looks. The user can only turn data layers on and off, and a few other functions. ArcReader is a great program for non-GIS users to start with due to its limited capabilities. There are less tools to learn than with more powerful GIS programs making an easier transition for some into some of ESRI’s software with editing capabilities.</p> <p> <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/new-version-of-arcgis-explorer-released-gis">ArcGIS Explorer</a> is also a good way to share your data but allows a few more capabilities than ArcReader. Now the user can add data layers to their map as they wish and also interact with those data layers (change colors and line types for example). Other new functions include 3D view along with the original 2D view, as well as several different base maps and downloadable content through ESRI. Explorer would be a better option for someone with a little more familiarity with GIS, but still does not require a lot of previous knowledge. Even for those using ArcGIS Explorer who are experiencing GIS for the first time would still find the program relatively simple to use.</p> <p> How are you sharing your GIS with non-GIS users?</p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-sharing-your-gis-data-with-non-gi">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-sharing-your-gis-data-with-non-gi#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/YwgPWoAkD1U" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/blog-update-sharing-your-gis-data-with-non-gi Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:47:00 -0700 Maximizing GIS Within a Budget #GIS http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/VkIhkZjQs-M/maximizing-gis-within-a-budget-gis http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/maximizing-gis-within-a-budget-gis <p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: black; font-size: 10pt;">The <a href="http://www.heathohio.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800080;">City of Heath, Ohio</span></a> has been using GIS for over 10 years. With the help of Jobes Henderson & Associates GIS department, Heath has been continually growing their GIS to include such data as utilities, and zoning. With a population of less than 10,000 residents, Heath does not have a massive budget to get the biggest, best, newest, GIS technology. However, being a progressive City, they have kept up to date with what other communities are doing with their GIS and how they are using it to better their employees and residents.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Along with continued growth and maintenance of their GIS data, Heath has also found ways to share their GIS information within the City departments through the use of ESRI's ArcGIS Publisher extension. Through published maps created using the extension, Heath has brought their GIS to their utility departments for use in locating certain features and viewing characteristics about them. But that was not enough for the City. Heath wanted to share their GIS with the community as well, especially those interested in developing in the Heath City limits.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Heath decided they wanted to add their GIS to their website when they redesigned their website in 2007. As previously mentioned, budget is a concern for Heath, as it is with most government agencies. Sure, they could have used ArcIMS technology to share their maps on the internet, but that carried a hefty price tag they were not yet ready to tackle. They could have also created images of maps to share on their website, but they wanted something with more functionality. They wanted the public to be able to interact with their GIS data, much like they do on their desktop GIS software. To accomplish this, Heath choose to create a PDF map that would allow viewers to turn different GIS layers on and off, zoom in and out, as well as pan around a map to get a closer view of an area in the City limits.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: black; font-size: 10pt;">To create this map, Heath asked Jobes Henderson for some assistance. Together, they manipulated several different GIS data layers to show the data in a public friendly manner. Then Adobe Illustrator was utilized to fine tune the map to ensure the data layers interacted properly. Upon completion, Heath had a PDF to link on their website which allows community members and investors to view geographic information about the City and stayed within their budget while creating it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Since the creation of this map, Heath has continued to keep the map current as their GIS has changed and has added additional layers deemed helpful for certain interest groups. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: black; font-size: 10pt;">To view City of Heath's webmap, please visit: <a href="http://www.heathohio.gov/Government/Services/BuildingZoning/pdf/CityofHeathMap.pdf">http://www.heathohio.gov/Government/Services/BuildingZoning/pdf/CityofHeathMap.pdf</a></span></p> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/maximizing-gis-within-a-budget-gis">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/maximizing-gis-within-a-budget-gis#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/VkIhkZjQs-M" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/maximizing-gis-within-a-budget-gis Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:00:55 -0700 Our ArcGIS Desktop 9.4 Favorites #GIS #ArcGIS #ESRI http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/llS9uzFE63I/our-arcgis-desktop-94-favorites-gis-arcgis-es http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/our-arcgis-desktop-94-favorites-gis-arcgis-es <p> <p>As I’m gearing up for a social media presentation in a few weeks, I’m going to make this week’s blog rather quick. This week I’m going to share some videos from the ESRI UC, more specifically on the new things coming in ArcGIS Desktop 9.4, and point out a few of my favorites.</p> <p></p> <p>ArcGIS 9.4 focuses on enhancing workflows and producing a lot of time saving procedures. If I had a dollar for every minute I sat waiting for a process to finish completing, or even just waiting for my view to finish refreshing as I’m panning through a map. To help me out with that, I’ll be taking advantage of the new function that enables background processing. While you are running analyses on your data, you can now continue working in your map with little interruption or slowing down from your running processes. </p> <p></p> <p>Another big time saver for me, will be the symbol search function. In 9.4 you will be able to type in a keyword in the symbol selector window in order to find the exact symbol you are searching for or to locate several symbols available to symbolize let’s say a fire hydrant. Considering the thousands of symbols ESRI has in ArcMap, this could be a huge time saver and reduce the need for creating your own symbol sets which may be difficult for newer users.</p> <p></p> <p>A couple minor additions that really appealed to me are multiple attribute tables open in one window through the use of tabs, and a dock-able (or as I prefer hide-able) Table of Contents (TOC). The new TOC capabilities really has me excited because I’m always wishing I had just a tiny bit more area on my screen. The best part about this function is hiding the TOC (or opening it again) will not make your view refresh. The tabbed attribute tables will save some room across the bottom of ArcMap and will allow you to better reposition multiple attribute tables for comparison purposes.</p> <p></p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wD82ZEoOKJU?wmode=transparent" frameborder="0" height="417" width="500"></iframe></p> <p></p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zemWTB2ZOhY?wmode=transparent" frameborder="0" height="417" width="500"></iframe> </p> <p></p> <p>Now that you have seen what ESRI has planned for ArcGIS Desktop 9.4, what you do you like (or dislike) most about it? Anything you wish they include?</p> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/our-arcgis-desktop-94-favorites-gis-arcgis-es">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/our-arcgis-desktop-94-favorites-gis-arcgis-es#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/llS9uzFE63I" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/our-arcgis-desktop-94-favorites-gis-arcgis-es Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:53:00 -0700 Spreading GIS Knowledge: The GeoMentor Program #GIS #GeoMentor http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/95uCUe7OaOk/spreading-gis-knowledge-the-geomentor-program http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/spreading-gis-knowledge-the-geomentor-program <p> <p>Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve been enamored with maps. I really, really like maps. No joke. I’m one of those weirdos that can spend hours looking at a map and get completely lost in studying all the information it has to share. I guess it was no big surprise when I decided to major in Geography in college. Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t until I was in college that I first learned about Geographic Information Systems or GIS. But once I took my first GIS class, boy was I hooked.</p> <p>ESRI and National Geographic recognize Geography is not a subject many people realize can lead to a good career path and that’s why they teamed up to start the GeoMentor Program. <span style="color: #02160C;">The program is aimed to not only increase geographic awareness in the younger generations, which is thought to have been decreasing over the years, but also to get the younger generations excited about geography and GIS in hopes to create future GIS professionals. The skill sets provided to these youth will help them throughout their school years and into their careers. </span></p> <p>The GeoMentor Program is a way to connect teachers of all different grad levels and various types of youth group leaders with a GIS professional in order to increase Geographic and GIS knowledge in our younger generations. These partnerships are created to help teachers gain access to the knowledge and software or hardware required to introduce youth to GIS through geography lessons. Sometimes the tasks performed by GIS professionals may be as simple as plotting large maps for use in classrooms or that a class or group created. Depending on the level of involvement desired by the GIS professional, tasks could be as in depth as providing instruction for using a GPS unit and even working in the field collecting data with the students.</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Image002" height="111" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/t7lvKsQqV39sevXnM1WMe4daXpyBQbUOPnIUVQM7tRggohjlDmG19fkX8hcY/image002.jpg" width="112" /> </div> Teachers, Youth Group Leaders and GIS professionals can sign up to be a part of the GeoMentor program and search for Mentors/Mentees on the GeoMentor website <a href="http://www.geomentor.org">www.geomentor.org</a></p> <p>I really wish there had been programs like this when I was younger because I would have loved to be a part of them. However, I look forward to being a GeoMentor and working with people in my area and share my knowledge of GIS.</p> <p>ESRI had a group of presenters speak about their experiences with a GeoMentor program at the last International User Conference and the video of the students, teacher and mentor telling their story is now available online.</p> <p><a href="http://www.esri.com/events/uc/images/plenary/19education.html">http://www.esri.com/events/uc/images/plenary/19education.html</a></p> <p> </p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Image001" height="99" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/jobeshendersongis/lAJScIwuzHRylmrxPBpDetqCJ8sxiZva2Rck1ZnuhluuN6dFcEXTlxI4DfIm/image001.jpg" width="100" /> </div> </p> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/spreading-gis-knowledge-the-geomentor-program">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/spreading-gis-knowledge-the-geomentor-program#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/95uCUe7OaOk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/spreading-gis-knowledge-the-geomentor-program Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:15:18 -0700 New Version of ArcGIS Explorer Released #GIS http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/acZldBHZZLs/new-version-of-arcgis-explorer-released-gis http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/new-version-of-arcgis-explorer-released-gis <p> <p>At the 2009 ESRI User Conference, there was a lot of talk about the next release of ArcGIS Explorer and it’s new functionality. Well here it is folks! ESRI has made it available for download on their website. <a href="http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/explorer/index.html">ArcGIS Explorer, GIS for Everyone</a></p> <p></p> <p>For those who don’t know what ArcGIS Explorer is, ESRI is calling it a “light weight geobrowser” that was designed to work with your own data. It looks very similar to Google Earth but affords a GIS user much more capabilities in terms of data availability or ability to add new data and manipulation of existing data. Some of the capabilities include 2D and 3D mapping, simple GIS analysis, and the ability to email projects straight from the application. Did I mention all of this is free? Just like Google Earth, ArcGIS Explorer is free to download through the ESRI website.</p> <p></p> <p>I had the opportunity to sit in on an ArcGIS Explorer session at the conference, as well as witnessing the new version in action during the plenary session. I was very impressed with capabilities of the program and really excited to be learning more about. I’ll admit, I hadn’t done much exploring with the earlier versions of ArcGIS Explorer, but I have a bunch of ideas how to take advantage of the latest version in our office.</p> <p></p> <p>On top of adding your own GIS data to ArcGIS Explorer, you can also access data from ArcGIS Online. Bing basemaps are also available for free to users with a subscription for versions of ArcGIS Desktop. Explorer can also be tailored to your specific needs through the use of SDK, which is also free to download. SDK allows users to create their own tools and add-ins for use in the application.</p> <p></p> <p>I think my favorite part of ArcGIS Explorer are the presentation tools which can be used to create some pretty impressive geo-presentations. As Jack Dangermond said, these type of presentations would be awesome at local planning meetings. While I’m still exploring the presentation tools, I’m looking forward to seeing a presentation completed with Explorer, other than those created by ESRI themselves of course. According to the ESRI staff at the conference, saving a PowerPoint presentation as a .png file type allows the capability to bring your PowerPoint presentation into ArcGIS Explorer as an overlay. I can’t wait to show my bosses a presentation I made using Explorer, and I’m really looking forward to using it in many of the presentations we do at work.</p> <p></p> <p>If anyone has made a project or presentation using ArcGIS Explorer, please feel free to share it here. I’d love to see them!</p> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/new-version-of-arcgis-explorer-released-gis">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/new-version-of-arcgis-explorer-released-gis#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/acZldBHZZLs" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/new-version-of-arcgis-explorer-released-gis Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:22:14 -0700 Social Media in the Business Place http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~3/8XSI9vJ-c_I/social-media-in-the-business-place http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/social-media-in-the-business-place <p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">For the first post of the Jobes Henderson GIS blog, I figured what more fitting a topic than social media. Our company, <a href="http://www.jobeshenderson.com/">Jobes Henderson & Associates</a> (JHA), is a Civil Engineering and Surveying firm in Central Ohio that also offers GIS consulting services. Recently, the company has adopted a social media initiative. The firm is taking a proactive approach in order to stay ahead of the social media curve in the A/E industry. What does this mean for the GIS department? Well, for one I won’t be getting as many strange looks when I talk about what I’ve learned and witnessed on twitter during our marketing meetings. More importantly, it means a way to easily stay connected with other GIS users and companies working on similar projects, with like concerns, and to learn about new technologies/processes in our industry, all in an incredibly easy to connect medium. It’s been said many times before, twitter is all about joining in the discussion. Sounds easy enough, right?</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">The GIS department started tweeting at the 2009 ESRI International Users Conference (UC) and quickly discovered just how much information can be found on twitter alone. The UC was a fantastic venue to launch a twitter account since there was never a lack of information to discuss. It also provided an atmosphere where many people were discussing the same topic, making it even easier to find and join a discussion and network with other “GISers”. While it’s only been a few weeks since the UC, JHA’s GIS department is still tweeting and learning the ins and outs of the site, including how best to take advantage of resource that twitter is to improve the department and current department practices. Since then, JHA has joined the ranks of twitter with their own account.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Possibly the most promising forecast for twitter, in my opinion, is</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"> “</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">It’s only a matter of time before builders, agencies and architects will be tweeting RFP’s.”  -Matt Barcus: <i><a href="http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/2009/08/12/10-ways-social-networking-can-impact-your-business-career-as-a-civil-engineering-professional/">10 Way Social Networking Can Impact Your Business Career As A Civil Engineering Professional</a></i></span><i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"></span></i></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">The avenues this would open for those requesting proposals/qualifications and those submitting on RFPs found on twitter would be amazing! It sure would make it much easier for consultants to locate RFPs, not to mention possibly less expensive since subscriptions to RFP search organizations may not be as necessary. However, it could quite possibly make the bidding process more competitive since the information is more easily located by anyone. It’ll be very interesting to see this particular aspect of social media pan out. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">As I’m discovering more and more about twitter (and social media) on a daily basis, I have found <a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/">Chris Brogan’s</a> article <i><a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-business/">50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business</a></i> to be the most useful so far. There are some great tips for beginner twitter users (and companies), as well as some thoughts for the more seasoned tweeter to keep in mind.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Follow @JobesHenderson or @Geo_Kris (the author, Kristin Snyder) on twitter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Are you or your organization using twitter or other forms of social media for business? What sort of successes or difficulties have you faced while using social media for business purposes? </span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/social-media-in-the-business-place">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/social-media-in-the-business-place#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JobesHendersonGisBlog/~4/8XSI9vJ-c_I" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/118188/JHA_Square.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aAXY7KBjcC5 Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS Jobes Henderson GIS http://jobeshendersongis.posterous.com/social-media-in-the-business-place