Outlining superior to mind mapping for complex topics?

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Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
Sep 2, 2009 at 05:11 PM

Some food for thought: “MindMap Navigator is a MindManager addin that simplifies visibility and navigation on big maps.” MM Navigator’s interface is very familiar—it is a regular outline tree:
http://www.mind2chart.com/index.php/2009061969/mindmap-navigator.html

The fact that such a feature has been deemed useful enough to warant the development of a commercial plug-in is, IMHO, an indication that outlining is more effective than mind mapping for complex topics (with hundreds of items or more). I’m sure that this is not news to many here who have commented on this issue in the past :-)

Interestingly, MM Navigator is not alone: there is also Powermarkers, a similar plug-in which organises Mind Manager’s map markers into an outline: http://www.olympic-limited.co.uk/products/powermarkers/index.html

Note: I originally found MM Navigator and Powermarkers featured here http://www.mind-mapping.org/blog/2009/09/google-wonder-wheel-ifreemind-mind-map-memo-mindmap-navigator/ and here http://mindmappingsoftwareblog.com/power-markers-add-in-for-mindmanager/ respectivey

Posted by Jack Crawford
Sep 3, 2009 at 12:32 AM

The MindMap Navigator is just that - a navigation aid that sits alongside the mind map to jump to particular locations. You can’t edit the outline itself.

Most mind mappers do have an outlining or text mode that is editable but usually clunky - certainly, no substitute for a dedicated one-pane outliner.

Your observations about mindmapping vs outlining certainly strike a chord with me, Alex.

Once a mindmap is no longer viewable on one screen, I find its usefulness diminishes immediately. IMHO to make big mindmaps really work, you need to live inside the mindmapping app and be a gun with the navigation tools.

I, for one, don’t have time for that.

Jack

Posted by Cassius
Sep 3, 2009 at 01:05 AM

The mind mappers I have seen are just graphical representations of outlines.

Of course, outlines also have problems representing reality, as they cannot easily represent interrelationships between different topics in the outline. A software package that represents a system or knowledge as a web is more appropriate. Neil Larsen, developer of MaxThink, created such a program, but I found it too difficult for my all-to-human mind to encompass.

Before I retired, I considered purchasing The Brain. It can represent a web and yet allow one to focus in on a small part of the web, of a size my mind could encompass. I also tried to get its developers to slightly enhance The Brain by enabling one to make links directional. The developers weren’t interested.

This would have allowed organizations, such as the FAA (40,000+ employees) to create a"map” showing the interrelationships among different parts of the organization and the duties of each. Each part of the FAA could view itself as the “center of the universe” and see how it affected other parts and was affected by them.

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