Author: Vic

I am an avid mind mapper who has used many different types of mind mapping software over the last ten or more years. Before that I used paper and pen - still do sometimes. Since 2006 I've been collecting information about mind mapping software, as well as programs for concept mapping, bubble diagrams, outlining and other ways of presenting concepts visually.
Posted on

The lovely Mindomo: Up and running

Mindomo – the web-based mind mapping service that has been on www.informationtamers.com/mind-mapping since early May – just announced that they are out of Beta and publicly available.

And it’s still free (with ads) for up to 7 maps.

There’s a US$6/month ‘Premium’ version, that:

  1. Is advertisement-free
  2. Has a secure connection (https) to their server [important if you’re using this for business]
  3. Can export maps in Mindjet’s MindManager™ format  [no FreeMind :-(]
  4. Offers encrypted map storage
  5. Ensures priority E-mail support

Vic

Google

Posted on

GoalEnforcer added

I’ve just added GoalEnforcer to mind-mapping.org.  This is a project management product that uses a diagram like a 2-level mind map.  Nodes can have start and finish dates and show percentage completed.

Unlike a mind map, the node that starts in the centre doesn’t have to stay there.  You can step around the map and reveal information that was previously hidden, but you’re always limited to the one you have chosen to be the central node and the ones immediately around it.

In addition to the diagramming function, there are added-cost options that give you reporting and other capabilities.

Vic

Updated:  Link fixed, thanks to Maureen…

Google

Posted on

“Seminal articles” section added

There is a new division in the “Articles” section: Seminal papers in information mapping

This presents links to articles on concept mapping and other forms of information map by some of the leading authorities in the area: Joseph D. Novak, Alberto J. Cañas, John F. Sowa, Sigmar-Olaf Tergan and others. There is also the full text of one article.

Topics covered are:

  1. Underlying theory of Concept Maps
  2. Semantic networks
  3. Visual representation of knowledge
  4. An overview of concept mapping
  5. Concept maps and web research

I have more and will add them as time permits, because they contain a lot of very useful ideas, research and analysis.

Vic

Google

Posted on

ImaginationCubed and WriteMaps added

There are two new entries in the list:

ImaginationCubed: This is collaborative hand-drawing web-based software from G.E. that could conceivably be used for mind mapping.  It is flexible but, as it’s not mindmaps-aware, it is cumbersome for mind mapping.

WriteMaps: This is a web-based, on-line tool for planning web site maps (not mind maps).  It allows only a strict hierarchy.  Unlike some on-line diagramming software it makes good use of a large screen working area.  It works with Firefox only, at present.

As this shows hierarchical maps and can also display the planned web site as an outline, I felt it just about made the cut for inclusion.

Vic

Google

Posted on

Welcome to Glinkr

There’s a new on-line concept mapping tool – Glinkr.  It’s a little cumbersome to use at present, but these are early days and there’s no reason to think it won’t improve.  But I have a 24″ screen because I do a lot of mind mapping, modelling and diagramming, and this product confined me to one small rectangle when editing the map.  I hope they’ll open up the workspace soon.

With luck, you should be able to see a map I made of the many on-line mind-mapping, concept mapping and related diagramming sites here: http://www.glinkr.net/map/spot/177/

The links are hard to get at, but are in there.

This will go into mind-mapping.org in a day or so.

http://www.informationtamers.com/mind-mapping
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software

In case it doesn’t show if you visit their site, this is what I made:

Mapping on my mind (and on line).

Google

Posted on

7 diagramming and mind mapping products added to mind-mapping.org

After fussing over the new blog, I had time to catch up with some of the new entries I’ve been accumulating recently (more to come).  The current trend is still mainly for on-line, browser based services.

Cumulate Draw -=-  Free on-line diagrammer.  Could be used for mindmaps but not designed for that.  A poor-man’s MS Visio, perhaps?

SproutLiner -=-  Free on-line outliner.  No security for your outlines (no log in) if you use an easily-guessable name.  I have not tested simultaneous multi-user access but it does not appear to be designed for real-time collaboration.

Flowchart.com -=-  Free on-line diagramming tool.

WikiMindMap -=-  You can’t build your own mind maps with this tool (unless you do it by building a MediaWiki), but you can choose from the millions of topics covered in many Wikis.  I think this is an intriguing tool, but one of the great values of mind mapping is the process – the thinking you do as you build the mind map. I believe WikiMindMap should be seen as a quick way to grasp the structure of wiki articles rather than as a mind mapping tool.

ThinkFold -=-  On-line collaborative outlining service.

MAK (MindMap and Knowledgemanager)  -=-  Knowledge Content Management System – seems dormant.

InfiView -=-  Not a mind mapper or other form of tool for graphical information management, but a development environment for such products.

Projekt S60 -=-  Outliner for Symbian-based mobile phones.

InfoRapid Cardfile System  -=-  A kind of outliner.

Vic
http://www.informationtamers.com/mind-mapping
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software

Google

Posted on

What’s all this about “fully instrumented”?

Past versions of mind-mapping.org were limited and made users search for what they wanted from the “all products” list.

Some users asked if I could add a search function so that they could check if a specific product was there.  Others want to to look at, for example, all mind mapping software that ran on a Mac, or all concept mapping and mind mapping products that could be used from a browser, from the Web, with no software to install.  Many wanted to know the cost of software and one person wanted to be able to check all items added after a specific date so that when they call back from time to time, they can see what’s new.

So I’ve added the selection and filtering in a tab at the top-right of each software list page, and each entry shows what I know about price (it’s not always clear on the publishers’ web sites), and when I added the item to my local database – which is always within a week if the information appearing on line.  I decided to cut out the historical records by default, but you can tick a checkbox to see them as well.

Controls in mind-mapping.org

So that’s what I was vain enough to call “fully instrumented”.  I’ve no doubt someone will soon point out an essential missing item and I shall slap my forehead and have to add more.

I did have a request to add reviews for all products.  Hmmm . . . I reckon a very minimal review would take a couple of full-time days, and with, right now, 162 current products, I could say goodbye to a year of my life.  Jus’ ain’t practical, I’m sorry.  But I’m thinking about how to get user reviews on-line without inviting the spammers in.

Vic

See also The Master List

Google

Posted on

At last, by popular demand, an RSS feed for mind-mapping.org

The mind-mapping.org site has been around for almost eighteen months now, and after many requests to provide an RSS feed for new stuff at the site (I don’t know how to do that), I’ve added a blog.  I’ll announce new additions here in this blog, and if you’re interested, you can subscribe to its feed and get to know about the updates that way.

Not only new items – I’ll also include notes about new versions of mind mapping and information management software as it’s released (and as I find out about it).

This site started as a personal collection of information on this type of software.  I’ve been mind mapping in one form or another for longer than I care to admit and was always on the lookout for software that helped.

I started with Mind Manager and still use it, though I find the upgrade prices a bit steep.  Now I play with FreeMind sometimes.  That’s a mixture of rather basic in some ways, and very sophisticated in others – the attribute capability is useful to me.

Once mind mapping was available on computers, I started using it for information management as well.  That wasn’t so successful because of space on the screen, but then Topicscape came along and solved that problem, and wikis with mind mapping capabilities too, so I started adding information management software to the database.  I’ve never taken a rigid view of mind mapping, whatever Tony Buzan says, so I gathered concept mapping products and other diagramming tools.

Outliners came into the information I collected because the idea isn’t so different from mind mapping, it’s just less flexible.  But when you have a mind map and want to turn it into a report, you’re likely to get there via an outline anyway – or at least an indented text format.

I do apply the criterion of requiring a visual element to the presentation of the information shown in the software collected here.

As I collected information from all over, across the years, I stuck it in an Access database.  Once I had enough it started to become a useful source, so I decided to share it so now it gets banged into MySQL on-line and the end result was the mind-mapping.org site.

The original mind-mapping.org site. 137 items, all on one page!
The original site. 137 items, all on one page!

I’ve been collecting the information for more than ten years, so there’s plenty about products and free services that came and went.  I decided to keep those as history, but flagged them so they can be filtered out for most readers.  If you’re looking for information about what once existed, you can see the historical items by ticking the “Historical software” box in the “Refine software” tab.

Many people have written to suggest new items – my thanks to them.  Some have told me what they don’t like, and I thank them as well – their comments have made me improve the searchability, filtering and information shown.

Mind-mapping.org today - fully instrumented . . .
Mind-mapping.org today – fully instrumented . . .

Keep on mapping, and keep the feedback coming!

Vic

Google