G.I.S. Problem Solving Essay
Nicholas Howell
03/24/2013
ENGL 1020
Problem Solving Essay
It’s a G.I.S. World
Cartography: The art, study and practice of making maps. Cartography has been used and practiced since the human race has needed to understand and be aware of the environment around them. Mapping has been used for many millennia and is used in many aspects of lives today; whether it is directions from point A to point B, or aiding in the interpretation of property lines. Maps are used to make life easier.
Technology is another element that can be tied to map making and the betterment of life. The fact that this is a high tech world is undeniable. The incredible rate at which technology evolves and increases its influence on people shows no sign of slowing or stopping; and there really is no reason for it to do so. Modern technology is becoming more and more a part of our daily lives. To put it into perspective, today’s “smart” mobile phones that fit in your pocket, are more complex and comprehensive than the first computers, which were so massive they were housed in large rooms in buildings and operated by multiple technicians. To say there is a form of technology involved in every aspect of life is a believable statement. This fact is just as true in the field of cartography. Technology has without a doubt improved the way maps are made, interpreted, and viewed. No longer does it take incredible amounts of time, patience, and surveying knowledge to make a map. Computers can do such tasks in fractions of the time it previously has. These technological advances also allude to certain issues. At the heart of the issues is the concept of CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) based mapping. When mapping is done in a straight CAD environment such as AutoCAD, the map is limited to visual interpretation of information. An example, for instance, would be the mapping of roads. Mapping roads in a CAD environment means a line is drawn, and that line visually represents a road; and that
03/24/2013
ENGL 1020
Problem Solving Essay
It’s a G.I.S. World
Cartography: The art, study and practice of making maps. Cartography has been used and practiced since the human race has needed to understand and be aware of the environment around them. Mapping has been used for many millennia and is used in many aspects of lives today; whether it is directions from point A to point B, or aiding in the interpretation of property lines. Maps are used to make life easier.
Technology is another element that can be tied to map making and the betterment of life. The fact that this is a high tech world is undeniable. The incredible rate at which technology evolves and increases its influence on people shows no sign of slowing or stopping; and there really is no reason for it to do so. Modern technology is becoming more and more a part of our daily lives. To put it into perspective, today’s “smart” mobile phones that fit in your pocket, are more complex and comprehensive than the first computers, which were so massive they were housed in large rooms in buildings and operated by multiple technicians. To say there is a form of technology involved in every aspect of life is a believable statement. This fact is just as true in the field of cartography. Technology has without a doubt improved the way maps are made, interpreted, and viewed. No longer does it take incredible amounts of time, patience, and surveying knowledge to make a map. Computers can do such tasks in fractions of the time it previously has. These technological advances also allude to certain issues. At the heart of the issues is the concept of CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) based mapping. When mapping is done in a straight CAD environment such as AutoCAD, the map is limited to visual interpretation of information. An example, for instance, would be the mapping of roads. Mapping roads in a CAD environment means a line is drawn, and that line visually represents a road; and that