Thanks to ArcGIS, the creation of this map was fairly simple. Though the software takes some getting used to — as there is no way to search for specific tools other than manually and there is a slight learning curve on where to find things — the developers clearly have tried to make it as easy as possible for anybody of any skill level to come and create their own map. I found the extensive choices for base maps to be enjoyable and the labels for each point of interest were fun to add and play around with. I also added several orange points across the campus, which indicate my points of interest that lack a specific type (such as an ‘Academic’ label for Laird Hall).
There are other areas that I struggle to understand: I am curious why we are not allowed to modify the names or details of polygons directly. I would love to put a name on the areas that I marked out, but the ArcGIS system either does not have the capability or makes it quite difficult for one to edit the polygon manually. Beyond this, at some point in the process of trying to edit the polygon for the Gould Library, I added this green dot. I want to get rid of the green dot but I have not found any solution that does not involve recreating the polygon.
I think web mapping provides a great route for digital humanities scholars to create and analyze areas of interest. Much like projects such as Digital Angkor, web mapping provides an intuitive method to understand a specific environment: maps allow viewers to get a sense of scale, interactive components provide information based on what catches a viewer’s eye, and software such as ArcGIS makes it incredibly easy for scholars to create maps that would otherwise take a very long time to produce. Furthermore, ArcGIS and Web Apps allow for these maps to be easily accessible. So long as the map has been shared with people — either through a web page or on a ArcGIS organization, viewers can look at the map and give the creator feedback while the creator can easily edit the map to account for corrections or new information.
Hi Max! I wasn’t able to view your map but I agree that while there’s some learning curve, once you figure the software out, it’s more straightforward than you might expect. I also liked your point about ArcGIS making the entire process of creating maps more efficient for scholars while still highlighting the important information which viewer’s are/should be interested in.