Happy GIS Day – November 14, 2018
It's November 14 - Happy GIS Day!
The first official GIS Day took place back in 1999. It's a day that promotes learning about GIS, sharing the benefits of GIS with others, and building a GIS community in your own hometown.
GIS stands for geographic information system and esri.com defines it as:
A geographic information system (GIS) is a framework for gathering, managing, and analyzing data. Rooted in the science of geography, GIS integrates many types of data. It analyzes spatial location and organizes layers of information into visualizations using maps and 3D scenes. With this unique capability, GIS reveals deeper insights into data, such as patterns, relationships, and situations—helping users make smarter decisions.
We actually use GIS for a lot more than one might realize - information and data about location can be used for a lot of things! For example, as the video below shows, maybe you’re interested in figuring out where the most dangerous intersections are, or where the best (or worst) parking spots are in a city. A lot of free data is out there, and if you can find it, you can make some pretty cool map visualizations.
Ted Talk by Ben Wellington, Data Scientist
Seeing an interactive map is a lot more engaging than viewing the same information on an Excel spreadsheet. Learning to use GIS technology is a very valuable skill in today’s world.
Are you interested in learning more about GIS?
If you have a Lynda.com account, there are some great beginner courses to watch. You can also go to Esri.com and create a free account to gain access to a few self-paced training courses that they offer. Esri also offers a few MOOCs (massive open online courses) that you can register for.
How do you plan to celebrate GIS? Let us know in the comments!