Mind versus tree navigation; html versus rtf editing

Posted by Stephen Zeoli
Mar 18, 2007 at 05:23 PM

Cassius wrote:
>I have never been a
>“visual” thinker and so have never used mind mapping. I have occasionally looked at a
>mind map screenshot, but each I’ve seen seems to be capable of being re-expressed as a
>left-pane outline (viz., as a hierarchal tree).. Am I missing something?
>

I have never warmed up to mind mapping either. I think it can be a convenient method for expressing certain types of information to others, but it doesn’t seem to bear a lot of fruit for my brainstorming and planning. The one difference between mind-mapping and straight outlining that comes to my mind is that the structure of an outline is linear… that is, subjects even on the same level flow in a definite direction. A mind map, being more radial, eliminates this distinction. I’m sure that those who find mind maps useful will be able to tell us about the many other advantages that I can’t think of.

Steve Z.