On February 24, 2011 I posted a blog asking for opinions on ArcGIS 10, mainly due to all the bad reviews I see and hear. Since that post the hits on this site have spiked, and not because of my awesome content regarding information about earning an advanced degree in GIS or learning about different uses of geographic information on the web. Most people have found their way to my site through “Googling” something related to their feelings about ArcGIS 10. Thanks to Google Analytics I have extracted the following keywords that have driven traffic to my site over the past two weeks.
- arcgis 10 sucks
- arcgis 10 comments
- “arcgis 10 sucks”
- arcgis 10 is awful
- arcgis 10 issues
- arcgis 10 never opens
- arcgis 10 problem
- arcgis 10 reviews
- arcgis stinks
- arcgis sucks
- arcmap 10 sucks
- arcgis10 review 2011
- does arcgis10 suck
- esri arc 10 ratings
- i hate gis – (haha, I love this one. I once had a friend in grad school who lived by this mantra)
- problems with arcgis 10
- problems with arcmap 10
- reviews arcgis 10
This is crazy! What drives people to go to Google and type in one of the previous keywords? I want to know! Yes, there are problems with ArcGIS 10, but I have found much more success than frustration since I installed it this past June. For example, I have built a number large and complex models and python scripts that handle millions (yes, millions) of points, that perform analysis on tens of thousands of polygons, and create multi-gigabyte output files that run perfectly ever time. I have a model running right now and the results will be ready when I get to work. I’ve had no major problems with raster analysis, map creation, or data sharing. Are there bumps in the road? Sure, but a comparable number of bumps to the other software that I use…
Now, do I have some kick ass machines that run the processes? Yes. Do I have an ArcInfo level licenses? No, I’m using ArcView. But the point is that I am able to do everything I want to do with the software. Are people having issues with software configurations, hardware limitations, or user error (it’s never user error by the way…).
I want to know what problems others are running into so that I can avoid those mistakes, because I hate downtime and I love results.
Have you had a problem? Leave a comment. I’d love to know what problems people are having. You never know, someone else may have had the same problem, or they know of a solution.