Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
GIS algorithms to make him happy. Clive may on occasion need to
create data by importing GPS tracks or maybe even digitizing some
lakes or trails.
Since he doesn't create a lot of data, Clive gets it by downloading from
the Internet and sometimes from his GPS, just like Harrison did in
the first chapter. The other things Clive uses his GIS software for are
printing simple maps and doing some visual analysis by plopping layers
on top of each other.
The Intermediate User
Irving is an intermediate user, and he likes to not only visualize but to
create data—sometimes lots of it. Irving typically creates data by digi-
tizing and/or converting it from other sources. Sometimes Irving needs
to produce cartographic output (a paper map with lots of decorations)
to share with his friends and cohorts.
Irving works with a wider range of data formats than Clive. He likes
to digitize data from raster maps (just like Harrison), convert data to
suit his needs, create subsets of his data to better visualize where
things are, and use symbols to help visualize some of the relationships
between features.
The Advanced User
Alyssa is an advanced user, and she has mastered the activities and
tools used by Clive and Irving. But she has greater needs—Alyssa lives
to analyze. Beyond viewing, data creation, and map production, she
uses GIS to answer questions based on spatial relationships. She does
cell-based analysis and perhaps even routing and geocoding. She also
may need to write programs and scripts to accomplish her tasks.
Some of the tasks that Alyssa performs include doing line-of-sight anal-
ysis (“Can you see me from here?”), change analysis, buffer analysis,
and grid algebra. She needs a high-powered toolkit.
2.2
Which Are You?
What do Casual Clive, Intermediate Irving, and Advanced Alyssa all
have in common? They all started at the same place and they each use
some of the same tools. You'll also notice that the classes of users bear
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