Although I understand that GIS can be very complicated, it is becoming easier to use.  People are using Google Earth and Microsoft Virtual Earth more and more everyday.  They are simple to use and provide some good quality information.  Above and beyond these common “household applications”, there are some good mapping applications at the local level.  These are mainly at the county level, but there are other organizations that provide similar stuff.  The available data usually includes: municipality boundaries, school boundaries, streets, parcels, fire districts, aerial photos, census tracks, zip code areas, hydrology, and voter precincts.  Some counties provide move and some less.  All of this data is free and at the fingertips of anyone with a computer.  Yes, my three year old daughter can look at this stuff.

So I am taking a wild shot in the dark and assuming that the average working professional has access to a computer; therefore they have access to a wealth of information.  And yet they come to the GIS guru and request data about a parcel.  “Can you tell me who owns this parcel?  How much is it worth?  Can I get a picture of it?  Who is the adjacent property owner?  Is that city or county zoning?”  The questions keep coming, and since it is technically our job we provide the answers.  When are they going to learn that they can gather this information too?  Sure, leave the highly technical analysis to the GIS guru, but take some initiative and learn how to use an online mapping application.

And since I fall into the GIS guru category, you and I must help those who work around us learn how to find information on their own.  There will be times when we will not be able to hold their hand, and what will they do then?

If by chance you are one of these non-GIS professionals, please take a few moments and learn about your local online GIS application.  Go to Goggle and type in your county or city’s name along with the term “GIS” and find a link that is provided by your local government.  It will normally be referred to as something like a Property Information System, Online Mapping Service, or Interactive Maps.  They are easy to use and can be very beneficial while at the same time keeping your GIS guru focus on the more technical part of their job.

Here are a couple of examples of an online mapping application:

http://www.sangis.org/
http://wms.co.fulton.ga.us/
http://polaris.mecklenburgcountync.gov
http://maps.cityofmobile.org/citymap/Map.aspx