I’ve been writing about the future of mindmapping recently, and decided I’d better mention updates to the Master List of mind mapping software.  Three new packages have appeared recently, all of them free, and their records are now in the mind-mapping.org database. 

CoFFEE

CoFFEE has concept mapping as a minor capability in its function as a groupware application for digital discussions in live classrooms.

Hypergraph

Hypergraph specialises in making hyperbolic maps and is already a capable and interesting piece of open source software.

js-mindmap

js-mindmap is in the very early stages of development.  It aimes to take a sitemap or similar in HTML and produce a mind map from it using Javascript.  Could be useful in jazzing up dull lists of links.

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

Update Nov 20th 2008:  This was published in error on Nov 9th as a page instead of as a post.

Jeff Lowe of the ThinkBalm Innovation community posted recently about on-line brainstorming session using a 3D mind mapper that he had developed.  Naturally, I wrote off to find out about it and he quickly gave me a couple of links.

These are early times - I can’t even point to the site for the software itself, so it doesn’t earn a place in the mind-mapping.org database yet, but it’s newsworthy and something to watch out for.  There are not many 3D mind mappers out there, just Conspicio, MindScene, Morsego, Nelements and Topicscape (the last of which I use daily).

This so-far-unamed software operates in Second Life.   Here’s what it looks like:

Click the picture to see the largest size

Being in Second Life, it looks as if this could shape up to be the first collaborative 3D mind mapper. 

Regards

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

I’ve had off-line suggestions that the objective of the “expand mind mapping” competition is so great that a month is not much time to pull it all together.  We’ve had some good ideas already, which may set us on the right track, but I haven’t seen what I feel is that “killer idea” yet.

I’m more interested in getting a result than closing off the competition, so I hope those who have already submitted ideas won’t mind, but I am now extending the deadline to 3rd December.

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

A few days ago, I blogged about my competition for suggestions to expand the population of mind mappers exponentially.  It’s time to give my thoughts, though I’m not an entrant in the competition.

We have to ‘normalize’ mind mapping; make it seem like something that people do as a matter of course.

When Tom Cruise controlled a computer screen by waving his hands in front of a computer-generated image in Minority Report it made a strong impact.  Many people remember that.  There was no such technology at the time, but with the iPhone, iPod Touch and MS Surface, the capability is coming closer.  I’ve seen news very recently of a working gesture-in-the-air interface though the display is not the floating-in-air style to match.  That movie scene changed how people thought about interacting with a computer.  But I mention that, not because I think we need spectacular technology, but because it stuck in the mind and has really changed things.

mdalves, in a comment on my original post wrote “What about Dr. Gregory House mind-mapping their brainstorms instead of writing boring lines of text?”.  This is an example of the approach that may give a way forward, in my view.  The TV program makers have to see something in it for them though - something to attract viewers’ attention, make them remember their show and watch again next week.  But first we would have to get the message out to them.  Ideas for that welcome!

The leverage will come from mind mapping being seen as a part of popular culture.  Oprah (well, the O magazine) had something about this, I saw here. 

Mindmap analyses of the Presidential Candidate debates may have some effect.  I wish I knew how many people watch at those.  Not mind mappers, people who have never seen mind mapping before.  What did they make of it?  Did you watch any?

Having mindmapping and concept mapping in an educational setting seems good at first sight.  It can’t do any harm, because we would expect students to appreciate it (if it fits their thinking style) and go on to use it in the adult world.  But that that’s where mind mapping (and concept mapping) were first introduced more than 30 years ago and it hasn’t proved to be enough.  Some students don’t like it, but are forced to hand in concept maps or mind maps as homework.  Others think it’s OK but see it as something to be left behind when they leave school or college.  Some take it on into adult life and never stop.

Let’s have your ideas - comment here, or on the original post, both count towards the competition for that free iMindMap Ultimate license. 

Regards
Vic Gee
http://www.mind-mapping.org/
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software

Chuck Frey, over at his blog, asks what future mind mapping software should look look like.  He predicts that:
- Connectivity with Web 2.0 applications will play a growing role
- Connectivity with corporate data sources will be essential
- A more unified approach to searching and displaying rich content within a mind map is inevitable
- Mind mapping software will increasingly enable users to manage their attention more productively, acting as a “digital assistant” to help them zero in on the most important information faster

What do you think?  Visit his blog and speak up.

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

I have a free license for Buzan’s iMindmap* to give away for the best answer to a competition.  This is it:

Many, many people have never heard of mind mapping.  Others have heard of it but have no idea what it is or how it might help them.

Write a comment to this post (and/or send a mind map!) suggesting how to achieve exponential growth in the numbers of people doing mind mapping.  This needs an idea that will motivate committed visual information mappers and at the same time can leverage the whole mind mapping community to get the word out, explain, demonstrate, tell stories, show all different styles of maps, all uses. 

I shall judge the winning suggestion (my decision will be final!) and pass (only) the winner’s name and email address to Buzan Online so that they can deliver the license.  Judgement will be based on originality, practicality and opportunities to obtain best leverage of existing mappers’ contacts.  If you decide to send a mind map to illustrate your ideas or thinking, please send a png or jpg image to vic [at] mind-mapping [dot] org.  I will arrange for it to be embedded in comments (max width 540 pixels).

This competition will run from 4th October to 3rd [updated] November December inclusive.

Regards
Vic Gee
http://www.mind-mapping.org/
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software

PS  You probably know that some people know about mind mapping or other visual information mapping techniques and do not like them, and will not use them because they have their own thinking style.  They find that visual representation gets in the way and they don’t need introducing to it.  I’m sure we all respect that and got over it long ago. 

These are not the people this competition aims to find ways to reach out to.   VG

*  iMindMap Ultimate  (£149 ‘recommended retail price’)

In the big-screen world of computers there is a seemingly endless supply of developers keen to give us mind mapping software.  Are we going to see a repeat on the iPhone and iPod Touch?

A few days ago there was MindMaker (US$5) - the first contender.  It has some way to go, but does show promise and they have a roadmap.  Its most obvious limitation is that it does not provide a landscape view when the device (mine’s an iPod Touch) is rotated. 

Now there’s iBlueSky (US$8) - to my eye a more stylish entrant, and one that already offers portrait mode. 

Not quite mind mapping software, but capable of making hand-drawn maps is Zeptopad (US$10).  They even choose a hand made mind map as their screenshot illustration (but I don’t think it would come very high in the hand made mind maps survey that the Mindmaps Directory people have going on):

And there I was thinking I’d have a quiet week…. 

Regards
Vic Gee
http://www.mind-mapping.org/
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software

Over at LifeHack, Joel Falconer is spreading the good word with a list of 11 free mind mapping programs - a mixture of desktop and web-based ones.

Mind-mapping.org shows ‘em all, I think, but you have to check for those showing Free in the price box so it’s useful to have Joel’s list.  Maybe I’ll add a “list free ones” function to the site one day. 

Meanwhile here’s the skinny on all the web based mind mappers (15 of them) and outliners (3) showing what’s free and how much the subscriptions are for the others.

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

One of my informants, the ever-helpful Sue, has pointed out to me that Giveaway of the day has a free download and license for EDraw MAX but there’s a mere five hour timeslot left to get this.

Sue also provided this information: “FYI — Registration is a little tricky. Open the ReadMe file. Copy the name and number, then paste them into the spaces… oh? Where are the spaces? After installing the program, when it launches for the first time: Click on help; click on BUY/register; paste in the name and number from the ReadMe file; click activate & all should be well. That registers this as a purchase; otherwise it remains a trial version that will expire.”

Thanks a bunch Sue.

Now get over there and grab it the rest of you!

Vic Gee

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

My hosting company rolled out a fix in the underlying PHP software that runs most of mind-mapping.org on July 22nd.The fact that this had broken the site was brought to my attention by a helpful user (thanks Sue), saying “Oh, no! I just posted a link to you.  Have you gone for good?”

Well, fortunately not.  It took a bit of communication with the host-company support staff to find out what had happened (and get a gracious apology) but now the hiccups are over and it’s back.  A case of one bug hiding another apparently.

Vic Gee

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