Let’s wrap-up the year with a few things I learned in 2015.
- 95% of all the maps you see on the internet, or that you make for your own purposes, could probably be replaced with a nicely formatted table. The exception – those cool web maps that show animation with some sort of time value. Those are rad.
- QGIS, R, python, and PostGIS keep getting better and better.
- ArcGIS Pro, at least for me, totally missed the spot.
- Formatting and sharing data is easy. Knowing how to properly analyze it when you have it takes skill.
- Everyone has big data and no one has big data.
- I really don’t care about online mapping. It’s cool, but I am a technical analyst, and numbers and stats are more important to me in my line of work. However, I see the incredible value of what CartoDB, MapBox and others are doing to push the geo-tech agenda forward.
- Don’t believe anything you read in blogs or on twitter. Especially mine 🙂
- Using “Geo” as a prefix automatically makes you look like you know what you are doing.
- All the cool kids are doing geospatial analysis (see what I did there…).
- Spatial isn’t special. If it really was, we would all be making a lot more money.
- If you are young, in college, and interested in GIS, I recommend you go into a natural/earth science or engineering field. Learn some stats, and get some programming. You will either learn how to use GIS on the side in a required course or in the job you got with your degree in your technical field where you learned how to do analysis. I don’t think majoring in “GIS” is a good idea anymore.
- side note – If you want major in geography, make sure you go the quantitative/technical route.
I hope 2015 was great for everyone. I am glad I started blogging again and I am glad people are still reading my posts. I have big plans for 2016! Now, let’s see if I actually implement those plans…