Picking my five favorite/most frequented buildings on campus was easy, but that was about the only “easy” part of this lab assignment. ArcGIS Online is a very powerful tool, but it quickly became obvious that a specialized user needs to be in control for it to be effective. Even with the struggles, I still had fun with this project! My embedded map can be viewed below, and you can also view the raw data in my CSV file here. If you are not able to view my embedded map, here is a link that should let you open it in a new tab.
This assignment showed me that representation is never neutral. Every map reflects choices about what to incorporate or leave out. Even a simple task, such as identifying and presenting five buildings around campus that I most frequently find myself in, makes an argument about which places are important while ignoring others. Maps do not just display reality but they also manufacture it.
Web mapping has potential for digital humanities work because it gives us a way to combine spatial data with interpretation. DH Scholars can utilize maps to emphasize cultural landmarks or visualize historical changes over time (similar to the way we used century-old maps of Northfield to identify change between past and present). Interactive maps also give the audience a chance to explore the data in ways that they choose, which creates a more active way of engaging with the data.
ArcGIS Online revealed that it has strengths and weaknesses during this process. As I said before, ArcGIS is a very powerful tool, and if a user knows how to operate it, the possibilities are close to endless. However, for a newer DH student, the platform can feel a little overwhelming and simple tasks can take a lot more time than expected. Despite this, ArcGIS excels for its ability to layer information (and easily move those layers around), integrate datasets, and share the finished, interactive map. It becomes clear how useful this platform can be for DH work when even just the basics are learned.
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I really appreciate your comment that maps can manufacture reality. I have found this idea to be a recurring pattern throughout digital humanities. Though traditional humanities sources also have inherent biases and can manufacture realities, the addition of the digital landscape gives even more opportunities for people to misuse these tools. Though technology provides many more people with access to the humanities, it also allows them to alter sources for nefarious purposes.