Chapter 3
One of my key takeaways from Chapter three is that applications can be changed and customized without needing to understand coding extensively. This makes GIS accessible to anyone who understands geographic data and has a limited working knowledge of programming. Combining maps with charts and lists all under one application is really a good idea. Applications can also be made interactive so that data can be explored instead of just viewing a map that can’t be changed,. What I don’t understand is how these customizations are possible without coding things.
Chapter 4
Web AppBuilding gives a way to create GIS applications that are interactive through the tools and widgets. This is useful because it allows you to add functions based on what information you are hoping to communicate. How do you determine what application builder is best for each project?
The biggest takeaway from the reading is that Web GIS allows interactive ways to view data and that helps people understand it better. The applications allow for combinations of map, charts, and tables so that it doesn’t seem overwhelming to look at data. I think this makes GIS more accessible to other people as well. This allows for going beyond presenting a map with an expectation of understanding and allows the opportunity to click around and explore on their own to fully grasp the information.
A cool application would be to track hellbender sightings and their movements through Ohio riverways. GPS locations from recorded hellbender observations would display and how those locations change over time. An interactive map would show sightings, which a chart shows observation dates, the tracking number of the individual hellbenders, and how far they moved. Then the data could be filtered based on individual hellbender, river location, or data. This could work similar to how people “adopt” a shark or sea turtle. This would help bring in money for restoration of the hellbender population, but also help monitor hellbender behavior, populations, and environmental conditions that cause movement.