Is something wrong with me? - Mindmaps

Their trying to "wow" you with the maps but the problem is that there all developing their maps wrong. Completely wrong.

They're boring and they don't have much substance to them. They're not interactive to the user and there not visually appealing so the user can embed in their brain what it is that they're looking at or trying to learn.

I'll blow you away with the type of new generation interactive maps that you can create for yourself or for your clients.

Just drop me a pm or see my sig and I'll show you how.


Frank Bruno

Understandable that you freaked out! However, Mind Maps can be a great tool on brainstorming ideas and transforming them to projects. Imagine that you start with a little and over time you can develop a well organised project. Branches help you dig as deep as you want...brilliant tool. Plus a great brain excercise

If you wish to learn about Mind Maping you can learn from the Author and inventor of Mind Maps Tony Buzan

LOL - Sorry that you unsubscribed from a list offering a free webinar. And doubly sorry that I would EVER EVER EVER try to sell you ANYTHING.

You're right. What the heck was I thinking?

And sorry that I'm doing Mind Maps "Wrong". That's a bit like critiquing how I write in Microsoft Word, don't you think?

Users of Mind Maps - BE FREE! Use them however the HEYELL you want!

Some people just kill me...

I rather use mind maps for my college subjects. Better of getting good grades with those goldmine tools.

I'm not sure I've ever learned anything from a mindmap made by someone else, but I'd be lost without being able to create my own for planning purposes.

I think the nature of mindmaps means you can get a lot more out of your own than someone else's.

ok. OMG lol this is a serious topic? Sorry . . . ahem.

For what it's worth...

For the sake of argument, lets assume that most of the projects we do are fairly complicated with a lot of dependencies, constraints, and granular detail.

When you think in a linear fashion (i.e. making a check list), you can make a relatively surface level pass at what needs to be accomplished.

In my own mind map world, it's just as easy for me to use Mind Jet to make a list as it is MS Word.

Where I get value out of Mind Maps is stepping back and looking at the project as a whole. Then I can start to drap and drop different milestones into different top-level categories and really get a sense of how the entire animal hangs together.

For example, if I know I have to write Thank You page copy, I'm pretty sure that I can re-purpose that copy for an FAQ, Knowledge Base, Help Desk, or first auto-response. Then it's easy for me to make a parent node in the mind map and create relationships between each one of those applications of the Thank You Page Copy.

Some purists will say that you should only have 1 word per node on a Mind Map. That's fine and I think for Brainstorming, that makes sense.

But just like anything else, the tool is only as good as you're comfortable deploying. I mean, some folks still use MS Word to create the HTML for their pages. If that works for them, then great - no, the code isn't super fantastics, but BETTER THAN NOTHING beats GREAT but NOT DONE any day of the week.

There's also a couple of note-worthy mind map collaborative tools, like Mind Meister that allow for task assignment, deadlines, etc.

And if you're feeling brave, take a look at the personal brain. That's more like a lifestyle approach to information management than just a tool for visualization.

My 2 cents.

It all looks like planning to me.
I've used visio for years to plan out many things including business ideas.

Not sure I understand any of the sarcasms here..
I always found planning to be a good thing. Perhaps I'm wrong.

Mind maps are very nice tools for doing exactly what Andy says, stepping back and looking at the whole picture. The problem with these huge mind maps is that stepping back is difficult, due to the limitation of screen size.

What I usually do is print it on an A3(This is what the size is called in Sweden, is it called something else in the US?) sheet of paper and than look at it. This makes stepping back easy and opens up for using ink from multiple persons at the same time to add notes and stuff.

Personally I think Andy's mind map is very good and it make a perfect creative jumpstart to any group discussing their internet business and plans.

For certain learning and personality styles, mind maps are fantastic tools. For others, mind maps can be a bunch of nonsense.

It's not a "one size fits all" approach here.

The measurement and analysis of personal styles and personality types is a well-defined "science". There are folks who are very visually-oriented, and there are more linear/analytical types that process information very differently.

Mind maps tend to be effective for "big picture" people, who can assimilate and process a gargantuan amount of information from the "wide screen" or "50,000 foot altitude" views. In this mode, people tend to think about object relationships, chaining, sequencing, cause & effect, etc... The view is very including of other object concepts because the focus is how a single object relates to other objects. The attributes of a single object are important only to the extent that the attributes affect or interrelate to another object.

But for other people, they have far more of a detailed, granular view within a single object concept. These individuals tend to be more excluding of information than including, eliminating details that do not pertain exclusively to the attributes of the core object itself. How an object relates to other objects isn't their orientation, rather than the actual attributes of the object itself.

Within a business setting, it's the genesis of the classic struggle between engineering and marketing. "Marketing people" relate a product to solving the problems or needs of a potential customer. "Engineering people" are more interested in expanding the capability of the actual product without necessarily relating it to a need.

I happen to be one of the rare people that walk the line between both worlds, so I understand the dynamics between both.

MichaelHiles,

Thanks for the well thought out response.

I'm sure part of the issue with me is that I have some projects with a laser focus and I know what I need to do.

Other other hand, one niche is working with those just starting out - and they really just want 1 simple concept to learn and see some money come in. Then when they have that mastered, advance to 2nd grade, etc.

As I mentioned above, because of the offer of a free ebook with "all the answers", so many getting started get on too many lists; find attending a webinar easier than "working" and get distracted, then frustrated, then quit.

I spend a lot of time (probably too much) sifting through what's out there looking for the true gems that will help the new person.

thanks,
PCRoger.

Mind maps are actually one of the best things I've learned about this year, especially for infoproduct creation. I wish I knew about mind maps back in school, as it would've helped me write my outlines a lot faster.

I just started using Mindmaps, makes it easy to visualize detailed projects. I've been doing this for years just drawing flow charts on paper, or with Visio, but I really liked the mindmap by Andy. I downloaded Freemind but it didn't seem right and after a forum search I see he used Mind Jet. Don't know if it's worth paying for it when Freemind is free, but I think I'll do the free trial and see if there is any point.

EDIT: Check out this video tutorial, the first minute or two explains why/how mindmaps are useful for productivity and efficiency:

http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoafYv93.html

Try this free online flash based resource Mindomo dot com and no def not an affiliate link, just helping out- People want to look at attractive things, and this can create attractive maps, freely and looks nice Damian

XMind - Social Brainstorming and Mind Mapping

It's free.

Anybody happen to know what mind mapping program created the "Brainstorming Niches" mind map from the 2009 30 Day Challenge? I love how visually pleasing it is lol.