Codemart’s MindMeister web-based mind mapping tool really drove its point home in an announcement today of some great new features. They now have:
- Linking to web pages
- Linking between nodes
- Linking between maps
- Note and link previews (hover to see them)
- The canvas of a map grows as more room is needed
- Date filtering in changes mode
- Better printing
And more. These changes impact the user experience pretty dramatically.
There is also now a public map browse & search with star ratings, a team edition and believe it or not, a full-featured REST API.
I already liked MindMeister the best out of the web-based mapping software packages that I’ve messed around with. I don’t use it much, but between these new features and the very clever Geistesblitz tools, I’ll be using it more.
8/1/2007 Updates:
I’ll be publishing a detailed guide to this tip and much more visual mapping file management advice soon, but if you want to get started with one great tip right away …
I use Microsoft’s FolderShare. This service is free if you don’t have any files over 2gb. For MindManager maps, including ALL ResultsManager and GyroQ data, all I had to do once I had the FolderShare software set up on my work and home computers was to set up my MyMaps folder as shared in the FolderShare system on my home computer and add the folder to be synchronized on my work computer. Now I have all of my data both at work and at home. The major problem that you may run into is that if you have maps open on both computers, they won’t synchronize correctly. In cases like this, it creates a map file for each computer and you have to combine them by hand, but I’ve never lost any data by using this service. It has in fact saved me skin a few times because it acts as an automatic backup.
I was very glad to have participated in Christine Comaford-Lynch’s Mindjet webinar today about her upcoming book Rules for Renegades. I bought the book before the webinar was over. The webinar was very engaging from beginning to end, and Ms. Comaford-Lynch’s message will appeal greatly to anyone who has a desire to be successful in business and is looking for a push, a boost, or a fresh idea. When the archive of this talk goes up, I highly recommend downloading it. I’m going to, so I can listen to it again.
I’ve wanted to join Toastmasters International for quite some time. When I find myself procrastinating, my first instinct is to break down the tasks for the outcome I’m procrastinating on in a mind map. This is also a great example of how useful ResultsManager is. There are only a couple of tasks in this map, but when I review my to do list, I will see them along with every other relevant task because my Toastmasters map is in my Map Central. Don’t worry if that doesn’t make any sense, you’ll hear more about ResultsManager here soon.
Here is the result … if you’re a Southcentral Texas Toastmaster, see you around 
This mind map was created using the Mindjet MindManager Pro 7 software. Click on the image to get a full-size clickable image map.
Eric Mack On-Line | Part two of my interview with The Brain creator, Harlan Hugh
“Personal Brain is an amazing tool for mapping your brain. You might even call it a true mind mapping tool. Listen to the podcast and you hear why I think so. I plan to make The Brain a key component to my personal knowledge management toolkit so I expect that I’ll return to visit Shelly and Harlan again.”
Eric Mack has been hanging out at The Brain headquarters in Marina Del Rey and has provided an excellent report in these podcasts. You’ll learn about how the Personal Brain software got its start and what excites its creators about the new functionality in the long-awaited rewrite, now in beta.
I’m pretty excited myself. I was an avid user of this software in the early days and am enjoying the new version immensely. It has always been, and is even more so now, the most impressive software I’ve ever seen for creating a flexible personal knowledge store. The possibilities for interconnection and description of data are mind-boggling. It’s a tool that takes a bit of discipline to not get too fussy with, but time spent “gardening” your brain files tends to be a good investment. Just ask Jerry Michalski, whose brain file has become so huge and rich and famous that a version of it is being kept on ice on The Brain’s own servers.
Don’t miss part one: Eric Mack On-Line | Meet Shelley & Harlan of The Brain Technologies
“As I’ve written before, Personal Brain is an amazing tool for mapping your brain. You might even call it a true mind mapping tool. Listen to the podcast and you hear why I think so. I plan to make The Brain a key component to my personal knowledge management toolkit along with Lotus Notes, MindManager, and other excellent tools.”
I really appreciated Eric’s interviews and enjoyed listening to them greatly. Eric is a genius, especially where technology tools are concerned, and he asks excellent questions. I’m becoming a great fan of his blogs. I’ve started reading Notes on Productivity and I don’t even use Lotus Notes. Thanks Eric! That is not to say that I don’t wish I was a Lotus Notes user. If Notes got a quarter of the credit it deserves, Exchange Server would be obscure.
The Mind Mapping Software Weblog: Coming soon: Power Tips & Strategies for Mind Mapping Software - Second Edition
“During the next week or two, I plan to launch a significantly expanded and updated 2nd edition of my popular Power Tips & Strategies for Mind Mapping Software e-book. You can get sneak peek at the cover to the right! I just have a few more small pieces to finish up, and then I need to proof it to make sure that it’s the best it can be.”
On July 9th Chuck Frey’s indispensable guide to getting the most out of mind mapping software is getting a refresh. I have been a tremendous fan of the first edition. This is a concise and practical guide, jammed with useful information and no nonsense. I highly recommend reading it if you make use of mind mapping software.
