GIS4043: Let's Do Some Sharing

The objectives for Lab 4, "ArcGIS Online and Map Packages",GIS 4043 were:

• Add ArcGIS Online basemaps and data from ArcMap
• Use the Search tool in ArcMap to locate ArcGIS Online data
• Create group layers
• Display layers at certain scales
• Create a custom map package
• Recall when to create a map package or a tile package
• Troubleshoot map package errors
• Share a map package on the web

The main purpose of this week's Lab was to become familiar with ArcGIS Online and sharing web maps, so that's what I did. Once again this was a fun exercise where I learned there are many ways to share your map creations via ArcGIS Online. But first, I had to create my ArcGIS Online account. A straight forward operation that was only slightly confusing until I realized I had access to both ESRI Traing and an ArcGIS online account. After signing up, I loaded up with a couple of Training modules (Creating and Sharing GIS Content Using ArcGIS Online and Creating and Sharing Map Packages in ArcGIS ) to complete this week's lab.I also had the opportunity to learn about and use an ESRI course code. I hope there will be many more course codes for us down the road and I look forward to any FREE webinars or other ESRI training.

Working with ArcGIS Online was not much different from using the ArcGIS Desktop that we have previously been using. In fact, I am hard-pressed to cite significant differences other than I was able to select "Share" online. In the process to create my map I added a description, tags and credits before "Sharing" but I learned that you could select the map and Un-Share from the My Content view and then add additional information or just not Share the map when creating it and then edit the information from the My Content view.  After completing my map, I used the “Share” option to make my map "Public." I selected "Everyone", however, it is nice to know that you can limit who you want to share maps with. You can also use the option to Share via a “Link” or on Social Media (Facebook or Twitter). After I selected who to Share with, I published the map; I then went from http://training.esri.com/Gateway/index.cfm?fa=mytraining.myVCTraining to “My Content” at: https://www.arcgis.com/home/?_ga=1.15126454.1604739125.1422720139 to view the map I had published. Initially, the map was not actually “Shared” with everyone as I thought it would be. I had to select “Share” again after opening the map in My Content. I used this procedure for both maps and I used the “Verify” to ensure my data was correct. All in all this was a great experience!