Before launching GeoMattix, I worked as a Trimble GPS sales rep and trainer in Arizona. To help learn the finer points of the various GPS devices, I would take a unit along when I went hiking in Sedona – my adopted hometown. I carried a GeoExplorer in my backpack with an external antenna attached to my hat as I went around Chimney Rock; clipped a Nomad to my fanny pack for a hike around Airport Mesa; and was able to carry a Juno in the pocket of my water bottle as I hiked up Cathedral Rock.
Michele atop Airport Mesa in 2008, Nomad GPS in hand
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Posted August 4th, 2011 in
Blog by Michele Mattix
by Michele Mattix
Online, on campus, or a hybrid? One year or two? Day classes or night? To continue with my series of articles about getting a master’s in GIS, today I’d like to share with you a few things to consider when selecting a program.
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Posted July 27th, 2011 in
Blog by Michele Mattix
In my last article I added some food for thought in the discussion of whether a master’s degree in GIS is worthwhile. Today, I will add to that discussion by considering two recent New York Times articles regarding the value of a master’s degree.
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Posted July 24th, 2011 in
Blog by Michele Mattix
by Michele Mattix
GIS job-seekers today are tempted by the idea of getting a Master’s degree in GIS as a way to better their chances of landing a job. A recent LinkedIn discussion that I have been following deals with this very issue. The majority believe that it’s more important to gain work experience in GIS before making the decision to pursue a Master’s degree in GIS.
One thing that I think confuses a discussion of the benefits of a Master’s in GIS is the nature of GIS itself. Is it merely is a tool used to help make better decisions or is it a bona fide discipline all its own? I’m not sure that there is a single answer to this question but it’s one worth pondering.
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Posted July 20th, 2011 in
Blog by Michele Mattix
What is a GeoCollector?
It’s a bundled hardware/software product sold by Esri that features ArcPad software on a Trimble GeoExplorer GPS unit. The bundle also includes Trimble’s GPSCorrect extension to ArcPad which silently runs in the background when you use ArcPad to collect GPS features. It manages your GPS communication protocol in ArcPad and it collects the data necessary for post-processing your GPS data. If you want to post-process your GPS data for high accuracy, you can purchase and use Trimble’s GPS Analyst extension for ArcGIS back in the office to differentially correct your data and automatically check them into your geodatabase. More…
Posted June 25th, 2011 in
Blog by Michele Mattix