Hi outliners,

I occasionally visit brainstormsw.com just to see if there is any development. I see now that there is a video about a new version called Brainstorm WFO, which is available for $40. I tried the download link but it just gives me the old brainstorm that I already have installed. I am reluctant to pay for the new version if all I get is the version I have. So: has anyone paid for and tried BrainStorm WFO? Any experience to report?

Tony

My guess is that there isn't really a new version yet, and the new owner has just begun changing the name for marketing purposes. From the video, it certainly looks the same (although new development in BrainStorm would not necessarily result in any visual changes). I could be wrong, but I wouldn't buy it unless the trial copy you download is actually new rather than the version you already have.

Chris

What is the URL you're looking at? When I try to go to the www.brainstormsw.com site, it bounces me to this

http://%20http//brainstormsw.com/outliner/lkjlkj-2-3/

where I end up with an "Internet Explorer cannot display the web page" message.

Thanks!

Steve

Steve.

The same here: Internet Explorer can't display the page, Firefox can, though.

Franz

Curiouser and curiouser. I had noticed that the URL was a redirect (which is often a bit suspicious) and that the Proceed button takes you on to the old branstormsw.com page. I see in the video (using Firefox, it seems very strange that IE can't view the page) that the main difference between this (vapour?) new BrainStorm and the current version is the addition of 5 numbered marks to complement the mark. But until that is included in the trial version I won't be giving them any money. I'm happy enough with my faithful BrainStorm anyway.

I have 5 numbered marks in my copy of BrainStorm, which I've had for years. The About screen shows "v3.6 Rel 0 at Jun 23 2008"

Looking at the release history at http://www.brainstormsw.com/relversion.php it appears the numbered marks were added in November of 2007. So, it might be worth downloading again just to make sure you have the latest version.

Chris

Hi guys,

Thanks for the interest. Sorry things were a little confusing.

There is no new version of BrainStorm / BrainStormWFO. It's just a rename for marketing purposes. BrainStorm is a generic keyword and as such a bad choice for a brand name; although I think maybe it wasn't a generic word when BrainStorm was first developed.

The redirect some of you noticed is being created by Optimizely, an A/B testing service. I've been trying to improve our conversion rate from organic search traffic, which is our main traffic source.

There will be a major improvement coming to that landing page in 24 hours or so, when I add a massive amount of content related to how to use BrainStorm as a part of a comprehensive information workflow.

Thanks for letting me know it's not displaying in IE. I'll have to look into that.

~JB

Hey, quick update:

The content I promised is up. You can see it here:

http://brainstormsw.com/outliner/lkjlkj-2-3-2/

I'll be adding a few more videos to help visualize what I'm talking about.

It's still being split tested, so you have a 50% chance of seeing it if you visit our home page.

JB,

Don't know if you're looking for constructive criticism, but I'm offering it anyway. That video is too long, and you make the error of assuming viewers have a basic understanding of how BrainStorm works, when most won't. Mainly, what is missing is an explanation of how each topic becomes a heading when you double-click the equal box. I think people unfamiliar with BrainStorm will be lost during the first segment of the video when you are demonstrating its benefits. If you use the aerial view to show the "outline" and then demonstrate how to move around the outline, and do that first, the rest of the video will be more effective.

Anyway, that's just my two cents. I wish you well with this, as I'd like to see BrainStorm thrive.

Steve Z.

Thanks, that's quite useful. I'll redo the video and incorporate your suggestions.

I see BrainstormWFO has already accepted Steve's feedback, but maybe it will add motivation if I echo it from the position of precisely someone unfamiliar with the program who went to the website to check it out. I started watching the video: my experience was that it dragged, was confusing out of the gate (didn't really get what the demo user was doing to make change happen on the screen!), and when I saw that the video was 37 minutes long, I shelved it for another day. I just was not getting enough for my time investment. And this is from a serious CRIMPer! I should also say that I am VERY intrigued by the program and look forward to a more accessible introduction to it.
Cheers,
critStock

Thanks. What's a CRIMPer?

I think initially I was focused on getting all the info out there.

Now I've got to focus on bite-sizing it and putting it into an appetizing, digestible sequence.

To quote Graham Rhind's canonical definition of 2008:

"CRIMP is an in-forum joke, and means ?compulsive-reactive information management purchasing?, and CRIMPERs are people who have this ?disease?. Basically, it described the compulsion many of us here have to try and purchase any new information management tool or outliner released, and move data constantly between them, never quite deciding to stick with any one of them."

Good luck with the site!

A search of the archive reveals that CRIMP was coined by Steve Z. in 2005: http://bit.ly/j0N7x1

Ah, I had that before pretty bad.

D#$mned inconvenient and inefficient condition.

The sample workflow up on the sales page now is what cured me of it. Been stable for years now.

Just for entertainment value, here's my CRIMP list:

Ultra Recall
SuperMemo
RescueTime
Emacs
BrainStormWFO
Pomodoro Timer
Various KAlarm timers
Wikidot
Wordpress
Hard drive directory tree
MS Project
Org Mode
MonkeyGSD
GTD
MoodTracker
Highrise
Various iPhone apps
GitHub
Mozy Backup
Dropbox
Gmail GTD plugins
Remember the Milk
Evernote
OneNote
Outlook

Probably more I can't recall...

JBfromBrainStormWFO wrote:

Just for entertainment value, here's my CRIMP list:

Probably more I can't recall...

The raw number of these that I also own actually scares me. And you just mentioned Windows software. When you add the Linux and Mac stuff I've purchased...

[head shake] Pretty sick.

Tom S.

I'd be curious to know what you bought for linux. I seem to do pretty well with the free stuff.

I just did three 5-minute videos that give a bite-sized introduction to BrainStormWFO. Let me know what you guys think.

Vid 1 - Features Demo
http://www.screenr.com/zY7s

Vid 2 - Random Word Sort Demo of Creating Synthetic Categories
http://www.screenr.com/Qb7s

Vid 3 - Full Workflow Demo
http://www.screenr.com/6k7s
with accompanying graphic:
http://brainstormsw.com/outliner/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/cyborganize-verticals.jpg

Longform text workflow (cuz BrainStormWFO doesn't handle longform text well)
graphic only:
http://brainstormsw.com/outliner/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/tri-blog.jpg

JBfromBrainStormWFO wrote:

I'd be curious to know what you bought for linux. I seem to do pretty well with the free
stuff.

Hmmmm... Well its been a while since I went totally Mac but as I remember I spent most of my time, especially early on, in emacs, which is free. The best Linux tool I used was The Brain (http://www.thebrain.com/ which I did pay for. Notecase Pro (http://www.virtual-sky.com/ another paid program, was also very good. Both are free to download and try and I recommend them both.

Tom S.

Any news about Brainstorm development ? It's a nice software.

Stark wrote:

Any news about Brainstorm development ? It's a nice software.

(Since this got buried in the RSS feed, I'm 're-tweeting' it.)