de-Hao! [ How it's done! ]

Online Mind Mapping – The Think Tank on steriods!

Posted by: de-Hao on: December 7, 2007

My friend Paul quite recently introduced me to a new way of collaborating real-time and organising ideas in the Web 2.0 era – Online Mind Mapping. I had to check it out – it is nothing short of “Uber cool”!!!

If you are just as clueless as I am (oops, “was”) about Mind Mapping, check out the definition below: “Mind mapping is a strategy for helping people order and structure their thinking through mentally mapping words and/or concepts. This strategy uses key words (or phrases) and images. They are much quicker to create and because of their visual quality, much easier to remember and review.”

Wikipedia defines Mind Mapping as follows:
“A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks or other items linked to and arranged radially around a central key word or idea. It is used to generate, visualize, structure and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing.”

There are a number of cool web tools for online mind mapping/flowcharting: MindMeister.com, Mind42.com, Bubbl.us, Mindomo, Mayomi, Thebrain.com, Linksviewer.com (online network analysis tool) and more. I found Mindmeister to be more feature rich and easier to play with. I will report on some of the other tools, as I continue to play with them.

How do I do this?

Tony Buzan, a proponent of the techniques of Mind Mapping and mental literacy, suggests using the following foundation structures for Mind Mapping:

  • Start in the center with an image of the topic, using at least 3 colors
  • Use images, symbols, codes, and dimensions throughout your Mind Map
  • Select key words and print using upper or lower case letters
  • Each word/image must be alone and sitting on its own line
  • The lines must be connected, starting from the central image. The central lines are thicker, organic and flowing, becoming thinner as they radiate out from the centre.
  • Make the lines the same length as the word/image
  • Use colors – your own code – throughout the Mind Map
  • Develop your own personal style of Mind Mapping
  • Use emphasis and show associations in your Mind Map
  • Keep the Mind Map clear by using radial hierarchy, numerical order or outlines to embrace your branches

My favorite map on Mindmeister is Micah Johnson’s map on “Social Media Websites“. If you haven’t read my previous posting on the “… Media Social Starfish”, please do. Micah’s map is a good representation of how this starfish is growing in size.

2 Responses to "Online Mind Mapping – The Think Tank on steriods!"

Thanks for the heads up on linksviewer – interesting.

There are some more Web 2.0 mindmappers you might want to browse. And some of them are completely free. MindMeister is good, but you can only have a few maps unless you pay, and their free option doesn’t let you use all the features. (BTW mayomi.com was actually mayomi.net and that died about a year ago. Now it’s a site about open source. Mayomi.com goes to the same page.)

Some other mind or concept mapping web-based apps:
comapping.com :- Collaborative (but, for people who like free-format mind mapping, rigid) left-to-right mind mapping
glinkr.net :- Concept mapping and mind mapping (shared but not collaborative)
mindmaps.kayuda.com :- Collaborative mind mapping and concept mapping
mappio.com :- Unusual mind mapper where the user edits indented text to change the mind map
mapul.com :- Collaborative mind mapping with an organic flavour
wikimindmap.org :- Make mind maps from WikiMedia articles
wisemapping.com :- Collaborative mind mapping
webofweb.net :- Collaborative mind mapping

And there are some browser-based diagramming apps that have quite good mindmapping support:
cumulatelabs.com/cumulatedraw/ :- Collaborative diagramming – can draw mind maps and concept maps
flowchart.com :- Collaborative diagramming – can draw mind maps and concept maps
gliffy.com :- Collaborative diagramming – can draw mind maps and concept maps
thinkature.com :- Collaborative on-line whiteboard service – can draw mind maps and concept maps

Regards
Vic
http://www.mindmapsearch.org
The master list of mind mapping sites

Vic,

Thanks for the information on Mayomi.

I will peek in on some of the other sites you listed.

Thanks,

de-Hao!

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de-Hao! is a seasoned IT Consultant with a strong interest in all iterations of the Web, as we know it! He currently works as a Senior Web Developer and Adjunct Instructor in the Greater Milwaukee WI area.

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