After looking at a number of digital humanities mapping projects, getting to work with mapping software ourselves was a very interesting experience. I think it helped me better understand how these sorts of projects are built and how they can be useful for different DH research. The map I created attached a map of California to the actual state of California on a world map. It was cool to see how closely I was able to match up the points of the picture and the actual map. The software was easy to use and could be easily accessible and useful for a number of different projects. However, as you can see by the picture below, it does look a little clunky. I think after using ArcGis, I would be more inclined to use that software if I were trying to make a more detailed map as it has many different elements and options that can create super professional looking maps. The David Rumsey Georeferencing software is impressive for being free and easy to use. It was also super cool how there were a bunch of options for exporting the map, including as a URL and in a tile format that can easily be opened in ArcGis.
Georeferencing is an interesting and useful tool, but it is not a great fit for every project. It is most useful when location is one of the most integral parts of the image that you are looking at. For example, the majority of options of maps to create with the Rumsey georeferencing software that I came across were already maps. Also if you want show a lot of things in a small area, this tool is difficult as the images are fairly large and their details can easily be lost. However, I am glad that I know about this tool and am sure I will use it for a project in the future.
