There is a stage between knowing and not knowing which we call learning.
I have been learning GIS for about seven months now. I am still close enough to the beginning to remember the frustration. I am far enough along to actually be able to create maps and to analyze.
There are many GIS programs. QGIS is free for downloading and free to use. I downloaded it and loaded a shapefile. It worked. That is the extent of my knowledge about it. But there is a lot of Support.
I am learning ESRI ArcView which means ArcCatalog and ArcMap.
The first thing to do with ArcMap, as a student, using multiple computers, flashdrives, and external hard drives, is to select "Store relative path names." This is found under File. "Map Document Properties."
Selecting Map Document Properties brings the chance to check "Store relative pathnames to data sources."
Check it. I have studied ESRI on line modules at ESRI training. There is probably nothing quite as frustrating as trying to learn to use a program with an on line training program. It just does not work for me. But I know enough now to work through some of the difficulties.
There is some information and help available such as the dictionary, But a lot is beyond what I need.
That is all for now.
