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WHAT IS GIS?
GIS is the field of study that makes computer generated interactive maps possible.  Most people have seen flashy GIS maps on television news programs and shows like CSI.  GIS.com provides this definition - "Geography is the study of locational and spatial trends about the earth's surface, the objects found on it, and the people who inhabit it. GIS technology provides a framework to manage, analyze, and disseminate geographic knowledge."    See the Wikipedia for a complete definition.

SEMO GIS USER GROUP
The SEMO GIS user group was formed to promote knowledge of GIS in and around Southeast Missouri.  Most of the group are "newbies" who are new to GIS.  All interested persons are welcome.  Everyone is encouraged to buy Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop, 2nd ed., for an excellent introduction to GIS and a six month trial version of ArcGIS Desktop, available from Amazon.com for $37.77.  
Garet Couch, a GIS consultant with Wind Environmental Services, LLC., gave the group a simple Excel Degree/Minute/Second to Decimal Degree calculator and detailed instructions on how to add X, Y coordinates to ArcMap.  Thanks Garet!

The March 2008 User Group was attended by ten GIS professionals and interested people.  The Group discussed Cape Girardeau County's   GIS mapping site on EMapsPlus which is somewhat difficult to use,   ESRI's licensing of tools, comparison of the Glaize Creek Project and Jefferson and Perry County maps at www.semogis.com, and the status of the statewide aerial photography flyover project.   MSDIS now has these photos available to the public.  However, the files are huge!  MSDIS will provide the data to anyone who sends a portable hard drive to their office.  

Click HERE for 2006-2007 user group meeting summaries.

DISCUSSION LIST
Show-Me Net has created an email discussion list to improve communication among user group members and anyone interested in GIS in this area.  Messages addressed to the group are delivered to everyone in the group.  Everyone is invited to join.  Click HERE to join.  

SHOW-ME NET AND GIS
Show-Me Net has partnered with the  SEMORP&EDC to gather data to promote community mapping by making highly detailed maps of this area available to local cities and counties and to anyone on the Internet.   "Community Mapping is a process involving youth, citizens, community professionals, and community decision-makers working together to learn and use geospacial tools and data to address community and environmental issues."  We now have a training and development server in operation.  A fully functional GIS server should be on line in a week or so.  Watch this page for progress reports.

HOW TO PAGES
As Show-Me Net staff learns more about GIS, we will create and publish detailed instructions.

• How to download a map from MSDIS and import into ArcView.
• How to add X, Y coordinates to ArcMap.
• How to convert Degree/Minute/Second to Decimal Degree  (Excel spreadsheet)
• How to create buffers using the ArcGIS wizard.

GENERAL GIS LINKS

http://msdisweb.missouri.edu/	MSDIS  The Missouri Spatial Data Information Service
http://www.esri.com	ESRI  The leading GIS software provider.

GIS DATA LINKS

SEMO GIS	http://www.semogis.com/
4-H GIS/GPS Resources	http://muextension.missouri.edu/perry/4-H_Youth/GIS_GPS/gisgps_resources.htm
4-H GPS & GIS in Perry County	http://muextension.missouri.edu/perry/4-H_Youth/GIS_GPS/index.shtml
Cape Girardeau County maps	http://www.emapsplus.com/
EROS Data Center	http://edcw2ks15.cr.usgs.gov/fgdc/EDCgateway.html
ESRI Data portals	http://www.esri.com/data/data_portals.html
ESRI Census 2000 Data	http://www.esri.com/data/download/census2000_tigerline/
ESRI Community data	http://www.esri.com/data/about/community_data.html
ESRI Geography Network	http://www.geographynetwork.com/freeresources.html
ESRI Streetmap data	http://www.esri.com/data/about/streetmap.html
GeoData.Gov	http://gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/gosh
GeoPrinter GIS Data Depot	http://data.geocomm.com/
Geospatial One-Stop	http://www.geo-one-stop.gov/
Missouri Spatial Data Information Service data	http://msdisweb.missouri.edu/datasearch/ThemeList.jsp
National Geodetic Survey	http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/
National Map	http://nationalmap.gov/
National Park Service NR-GIS Data	http://science.nature.nps.gov/nrdata/index.cfm
TerraServer USA	http://terraserver-usa.com/
U.S. Census Bureau	http://www.census.gov/
U.S. Census Bureau American FactFinder	http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Missouri Spatial Data	http://www.fws.gov/data/statdata/modata.html
U.S. Geological Survey	http://www.usgs.gov/
Zip Codes are not Areas	http://exchange.manifold.net/manifold/manuals/5_userman/mfd50Zip_Codes_are_Not_Areas.htm
Zip Code Maps Files	http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cob/z52000.html
Zip Code Tabulation Areas	http://www.census.gov/geo/ZCTA/zcta.html

GPS LINKS

Easy GPS	http://www.easygps.com/
USA Photomaps	http://jdmcox.com/