NWGIS UC 2024

At the 2008 Esri Developer Summit, the content was based on the assumption that most GIS professionals, especially developers, work in teams. From a rudimentary survey, however, it seemed that around half of the attendees worked on their own or were the only GIS expert in their organization. This was surprising to Esri, who, to their credit, adjusted their emphasis accordingly for future events. A few months later, a session focusing on the life of the lone GIS professional at the Washington GIS Conference attracted over a third of the attendees (around 70 people) who recognized that their experience working on their own or in small groups was a worthy basis for interaction at this and subsequent events. Eleven years on from the last session dedicated specifically to the world of the lone GIS professional, what, if anything, has changed? Is there still value in focusing on their situation in contrast to, for example, that of GIS professionals working in medium or large groups? The goal of this session is to address these and whatever other questions are of interest to lone GIS professionals. The approach will be the same as that for the complementary Things Worth Knowing session, which will involve adjusting the environment as required to facilitate healthy collaboration. As for that session, all participants will be expected to contribute to the proceedings at some point during the session.