Getting to Know Esri Support: John G.
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11-17-2010 04:20 AM
An interview with ArcGIS Desktop Support Analyst John G.
Hello, this is Cassandra bringing you the first blog post in a new series called “Getting to Know Esri Support”, where each month, we’ll post a new interview of a different member of Esri Support Services. We hope you enjoy!
For our inaugural interview, we will spend some time with Esri Support Services ArcGIS Desktop Support Analyst John G., who has just completed his first year with us.
Support Services Blog: Hi John, thanks for joining us.John G.: No problem, happy to be here.
SSB: Awesome! So, to better understand the fundamentals of John G., what is your educational background and experience with GIS?John G.: I graduated from California Polytechnic University - Pomona with a Bachelor of Science in Geography - emphasis in GIS. Prior to starting at Esri, I was the sole GIS staff member for a Geotechnical and Environmental Consulting Firm in Sacramento, CA. Besides making maps, I managed the inventory of spatial data and supervised the company's GPS data collection.
SSB: Sounds cool. What brought to Esri and Support Services?John G.: When I got out of school, I was looking for an opportunity to develop well-rounded skills. Working alone certainly gave me the opportunity to learn various tasks (geocoding, printing, symbology, basic analysis, data management, annotation, etc.), but I sometimes felt like I was attempting to re-invent the wheel.
Being at Esri is a blessing, because I can launch into a question regarding the use of a particular environment setting in the dissolve tool entirely unprovoked, and the person will know exactly what I'm talking about right away. Even better, they won't just be humoring me with a response. The people in technical support love geography, they understand the software, and they have exceptional communication skills. This means that the only thing limiting my learning is that my brain gets full.
SSB: That happen a lot?John G.: (laughs) There’s a lot to learn.
SSB: So, what are your favorite things to do to relax?John G.: I love to ride my bike, whether it’s a trip to the grocery store, an overnight tour, a local criterium or going off-road. When I’m at home, I hang with my cats Ray and RayRay and enjoy reading the blog Bike Snob NYC. Some co-workers and I also recently started a Do-It-Yourself bike repair tent called “Bike BBQ” at the Thursday night Redlands Farmers Market.
SSB: I’m guessing then that if you were stranded on a desert island and could bring three things, would one be a bike repair kit?John G.: Oh trick question. No, I think if I had to keep it to three things, I’d go for a Swiss army knife, some matches and Netflix.
SSB: But no TV upon which to watch the Netflix?John G.: You gotta draw the line somewhere.
SSB: Gotcha. Okay, scenario: the best chef in the world is going to cook you your ultimate meal, what will you have?John G.: Definitely some locally grown, vegan tasties. And a bottle of wine.
SSB: No bacon?John G.: No bacon.
SSB: Just checking. If you could travel back in time to any point in history, where would you go and why?John G.: Minneapolis, Minnesota, summer of 1981 - purely so I could see Prince and The Time.
SSB: Sweet…80’s pop music lover I see. What’s one thing that really bugs you, besides your lack of desire for bacon?John G.: Bad honeydew.
SSB: Yikes! I’ll keep that in mind. Bringing it back to GIS, tell us about the areas of the software you enjoying supporting and/or working with here at Esri.John G.: I've always been a lot more interested in workflow management and the automation of repetitive tasks than in the creation of maps. I enjoy supporting ArcPad Studio, because I really empathize with GIS users who find themselves moonlighting as GPS data collection project authors and developers. I also get really excited about the increasing role of Python in extending the functionality of our software.
SSB: Very cool. Got any final shout outs before we sign off?John G.: Yes, thanks. I just want to give a shout out to all my friends, family and fans. Peace!