Moving Beyond Information Hierarchies: An Introduction to Dynamic Mind Mapping
Many of our users ask if PersonalBrain is mind mapping software, file management software or something else… According to Mac|Life Magazine this month, PersonalBrain is the “most compelling computer adaptation of mind mapping encountered”. So I thought it only fitting to blog about: whether or not PersonalBrain is in fact “mind mapping software”, what exactly is PersonalBrain, and where does it fit into the array of desktop applications that you have running on your computer. Flexible Knowledge Mapping – Networks Versus Hierarchies Before we get into what PersonalBrain does, I think it’s important to reference some current issues with information management and your computer desktop. Almost all interfaces today, with the exception of TheBrain visual user interface, are limited to organizing information into hierarchies, where a piece of information can only be categorized into one place. For simple applications this is fine, but for users engaging in more complex business processes, it is simply inadequate. A document will have a variety of different issues or people associated with it – with hierarchies one cannot show all these relationships without multiple copies of the information. File management systems on virtually all operating systems use folders and focus on separating information—they force you to divide information into containers. Traditional directory trees confine information to a strict hierarchical organization and are incapable of expressing the multi-layered relationships that exist in the real world which people think about and draw meaning from in their ordinary Thought processes. TheBrain takes the opposite approach—it enables you to link information into a network of logical associations. Any piece of information can be linked to any other piece. The power of TheBrain lies in the flexibility of these links. Users can quickly create structures of information that reflect the way they think about information. With PersonalBrain you can drag and drop files from folders or folders themselves. So you don’t have to abandon your filing system but you can visualize it in a manner that reflects your unique thought process. Mind Mapping Software Mind mapping helps you visualize concepts and ideas. Mind mapping was popularized by Tony Buzan and it is now offered by several software providers. These products are geared toward brainstorming and idea generation and are useful to convey decision processes and lateral thinking. A typical mind map interface displays topics horizontally branching out from one root node which does not change. (Image from the Wikimedia Commons Image:MindMapGuidlines.JPG ) With most mind mapping software something at the bottom of one branch cannot be elegantly linked to something that is categorized in a distant branch unless your mind map is really small. So “mind maps” essentially have the same linear limitation that your computer filing system does. Because it is a spatial representation of information it simply runs out of space… However, they are an improved and better looking information hierarchy. Visualizing Information Flow In contrast to folder systems and mind maps, PersonalBrain provides the ability to display information in multiple categories and associative relationships. Items in TheBrain are called "Thoughts," which can represent files, Web pages, or database records. TheBrain's display is organized around a Thought, surrounded by all its related Thoughts. Clicking on any Thought brings it to the center of the display, and the interface is automatically reconfigured to new related Thoughts. As you navigate through data, the information displayed on the screen is always related to the selected data. TheBrain lets you follow a train of Thought, flowing from one item to the next. This approach provides several major advantages:
Information can be dynamically loaded as it is needed, enabling infinite scalability so that vast amounts of information can be mapped.
There is always a context for the current item, so details such as contact information can always be synchronized with the display and usage of the system can be accurately measured and reported against.
Non-hierarchical relationships can be displayed. Because of the self-referencing nature of networked information, it is impossible to represent non-hierarchical information visually unless the display is rendered from the perspective of a selected item.
With conventional mind mapping software, each map cannot practically be larger than a few hundred items. PersonalBrain is designed to allow tens of thousands of items and files to be integrated into a single workspace. The software offers a dynamic visual display that is infinitely scalable. In fact, this same interface is in use at the Department of Defense, Encyclopedia Britannica and large Fortune 500s to navigate and visualize hundreds of thousands of objects and databases. It would be impossible to scroll through such large data sets with standard mind maps. What Visualizing Non-Linear information Relationships Does for You Networked data structures have been around long before the advent computers, but today their relevance is surpassing that of the hierarchy. The explosion of social network analysis is merely a single example of how people are realizing the power of relationships in their information. Sales personnel need to see how key decision makers are connected to companies and other related executives for prospecting or to close a deal. IT managers need to see relationships between their servers and applications to support user communities effectively. The very Internet itself is based on not a linear structure, but on a flow of logical connections between concepts. Every piece of information in a relational database, on a Web site, and even in people’s heads is a network structure yet today there is no way for users to display these critical relationships or allow users to interact with networks of information. The need to visualize key information relationships is further augmented by more powerful computers, the proliferation of information sources and increased pressure on people to juggle multiple roles and responsibilities. PersonalBrain can help you link information together in a manner that captures these real world relationships and helps you make sense of them all. This also underscores TheBrain inventor, Harlan Hugh’s, original goal in creating a generalized software application that works the way people think. A system designed to capture thinking must represent information networks. Our own organic Brains aren’t always linear. One Thought can lead to a cascade and convergence of many others, often leading to the most whimsical and brilliant of ideas. This is why so many of our users (including myself) have one very large PersonalBrain that is literally their digital Brain on their computer. For me, my PersonalBrain is a mental space that I’m creating and working in about me!! It allows me to make connections and remember things. Mind Mapping Expert Opinions So what do industry experts think? Chuck Frey, noted mind mapping blogger and mind mapping expert, uses PersonalBrain and said in his review “If you work with large amounts of information and have gotten frustrated by your ability to navigate and work with large mind maps, PersonalBrain 4.0 is definitely worth a look.” Eric Mack, eProductivity expert, has suggested that we “might” call PersonalBrain a “true mind mapping tool”, knowing full well what most people think mind maps should be and how TheBrain is different. He was most recently quoted in Michael Totty’s article in the Wall Street Journal stating "Often I discover new relationships and ideas that I was previously unaware of — ones that probably would not have otherwise become apparent," using PersonalBrain. James Burke, science historian and best selling author of “Connections” is not surprisingly a PersonalBrain user. It is the very core of visualizing nonlinear relationships that enables James Burke to connect historical inventions and thinkers together without limits. As James states “I chose TheBrain because after years of working on the Knowledge Web concept, with larger and larger sheets of paper, covered by spaghetti-like, criss-crossing lines, I was in danger of getting very lost in the maze. And worst of all, it wouldn’t move. TheBrain was just what I was looking for. And then some!” What prolific thinkers like Jerry Michalski (owner of the world’s largest Brain) and James Burke are doing with their vast array of connections would not be possible in standard mind mapping software and certainly not possible with a folder directory. Moreover, since most of us are conceptual in nature I would venture a guess that your perspective may also need some web-like connections and go beyond basic subcategories. The Bottom line So to answer my original questions, I would feel comfortable describing PersonalBrain as dynamic mind mapping software or at the very least what mind mapping software ought to be, because moving beyond the limitations of static information hierarchies is critical to capture human thought. And yes, PersonalBrain lives very happily with other mind maps and most definitely your computer filing system. In fact, you can even store all your mind maps in your PersonalBrain and some of our users do. For individuals, organizing information in a manner that more directly matches and captures their thought processes increases personal productivity. For companies, these benefits are further augmented by the collective contributions of many, increasing corporate IQ and yielding a new level of group collaboration (through our enterprise software, BrainEKP). But most importantly, seeing and connecting your information like this will inevitably surprise you and open up a new world of insight. Often, I’ll click on a Thought and see linked topics that I forgot about and now remember. You might even feel more at home, more connected, more like yourself on your machine.
The article is useful and didactical for the initial user. Seasoned users, like me, would benefit more from a deeper view about how to fully exploit PersonalBrain's capabilities… For example, how can I model process flow using the association types and thought types to establish optionality, conditional flow etc. Also, how to use PersonalBrain to produce a "wow" type of presentation, departing from the old and common place PowerPoint… let me know if you already have any of this content. If you don't, let me know when you do! ;o} Take care. It's a true pleasure using your technology. Seeya Pedro Correa
I have become a very convinced customer and user of "Personal Brain" and I appreciate all those useful recommendations, which confirm that I am going in the right direction. The features are very impressive and stir-up new ideas: when switching to the various views, one becomes particularly useful, by arranging Thoughts optically on the plex in such a way that the "picture" of that view becomes very "obvious" …couple days later, you may want to give it another focus by re-arranging the same content. Now the catch: once I have created such an arrangements, I would like to store it "as is" and re-call the same arrangement for demo-purposes… I do not see, how that can be done, yet … this function I would call "save plex-view as …" which would require you to choose a name and save the "frozen" view of the plex.
Hi Shelly, A great read on tools for visual information management. I like the "Total Information Management (TIM)" approach of theBrain. You may wish to look at Galaxy It, another TIM software at http://search.galaxyit.com The Galaxy It software is powered by the fractal grid technology which is considered a disruptive innovation for information management. Rod.
I agree with Wolfgang - saved views would make a huge difference in some instances. I've been working on a research project all afternoon using TheBrain as a needs of recording and connecting memes. The plex now has 70+ entries that are very interconnected. I've found that by using the "Expanded" view, and manually moving memes around, I'm getting real clarity of what is cause/core versus symptom/auxillary - which really shows the power of the approach. Problem is, when I change the view or close the plex, it will lose this visual pattern. In our business, we consult to a wide range of organisations on information and knowledge management. While TheBrain's ability to connect across metadata and hierarchies is great, it would be far more useful if knowlege workers can add context by freezing views that provide visual cues - in effect publishing a perspective.
Thanks for explaining how Personal Brain fits in. Having read round the subject I would say that it is Topic Map software http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topic_Maps There seems to be an order of complexity: Mind Maps, Concept Maps & Topic Maps. Concept maps seemed promising. I tried Cmap but it was nowhere as good as Personal Brain. I sometimes have to start with Mind Maps, say when I have a brainstorm with people who use Freemind. I do wish there was an import filter for Freemind files (.MM extension) and perhaps MindManager files. This would be a great way to gather material to put into a Brain, after the brainstorm in a filering and analysis session.
要 如何開始？例如你有一大堆電子書,就直接開一個Child叫"E-Book", 在E-Book下加入一個一個的Child, Child的名字就是書名, 在這個Child 入面可以加入檔案(加入檔案時分Link to file, Link to folder, Link to URL 等等，假如你的ebook 是一個pdf檔, 先選Link to file加入了檔案的路徑, 之後右按選Move file into brain, 這個檔案就會移到PersonalBrain 入面而不會因為檔案改變了位置令到PersonalBrain找不到檔案給你), 一本一本的書加好之後如果有時間才去慢慢分纇。
The best way to learn about PersonalBrain is to see it in action. Select a chapter below. · A Tour of PersonalBrain · Chapter 1: Thought Relationships · Chapter 2: Opening and Creating Files · Chapter 3: Associative Computing · Chapter 4: True Web and File Integration · Chapter 5: Additional Features Have it the way u want Get it connected get a Brain 是它的广告词. 看了Flash Tour后, 大致对PersonalBrain有了个初步理解和使用印象, 对图中的小圆圈的具体含义比较含糊, 感觉软件设计的思维方式跟大脑比较类似. The best way to learn about PersonalBrain is to see it in action. Select a chapter below. · A Tour of PersonalBrain · Chapter 1: Thought Relationships · Chapter 2: Opening and Creating Files · Chapter 3: Associative Computing · Chapter 4: True Web and File Integration · Chapter 5: Additional Features Have it the way u want Get it connected get a Brain是它的廣告詞.看了Flash Tour後,大致對PersonalBrain有了個初步理解和使用印象,對圖中的小圓圈的具體含義比較含糊,感覺軟件設計的思維方式跟大腦比較類似.
二. 速读User Guide 掌握关键概念二.速讀User Guide掌握關鍵概念
基本理念基本理念
The idera behind PersonalBrain is to create and display relationship among types of information. The idera behind PersonalBrain is to create and display relationship among types of information.
PersonalBrain is a method of organizing ideas and information. No hierachcal file structure can provide as much cross-refrenced information at a glace. PersonalBrain is a method of organizing ideas and information. No hierachcal file structure can provide as much cross-refrenced information at a glace.
PersonalBrain is a collection of connected thoughts. PersonalBrain is a collection of connected thoughts.
Plex: The visible area of a brain is called “Plex” , a collection of obsely related thoughts.You decide what thoughts represent , how they are related, and what they contain. Plex: The visible area of a brain is called “Plex” , a collection of obsely related thoughts.You decide what thoughts represent , how they are related, and what they contain.
Thoughts are linked visually through the thre cicles around them, called “Gates” （如同困境中的你会面临许多扇门, 每推开一扇门,都意味着新机与未知） Gate are hollow if there is no link throught them to another thought, and solid if there is a link to another thought Thoughts are linked visually through the thre cicles around them, called “Gates” （如同困境中的你會面臨許多扇門,每推開一扇門,都意味著新機與未知） Gate are hollow if there is no link throught them to another thought, and solid if there is a link to another thought
Blue hollow : no thoughts are attached Blue hollow : no thoughts are attached
Blue solid : thourghts are attached Blue solid : thourghts are attached
Green solid : thoughts are attached but not visible Green solid : thoughts are attached but not visible
Active thoughts: which represents the central concept u are mentally viewing ——— the one u are working with at the moment. Active thoughts: which represents the central concept u are mentally viewing ——— the one u are working with at the moment.
Thought’s four zone: Thought’s four zone:
1. The parent zone above the active thought 1. The parent zone above the active thought
2. The child zone below the active thought. 2. The child zone below the active thought.
3. The jump zone to its left 3. The jump zone to its left
4. The sibling zone to its right. 4. The sibling zone to its right.
三. 实践体验三.實踐體驗
将PersonalBrain 作为Active thought 做Case, 展开自己个人PersonalBrain 之旅, 知道我目前Jump Thought的最后一个child thought 吗? 德国跨国婚姻, 呵呵將PersonalBrain作為Active thought做Case,展開自己個人PersonalBrain之旅,知道我目前Jump Thought的最後一個child thought嗎?德國跨國婚姻,呵呵
I recently discovered Personal Brain and I’m taken with it. It took me a couple hours of experimentation and more importantly, playing with Jerry Michalski’s brain to get used to it and to realize how powerful it is. For those of you who ‘get’ and use GTD, I’ll say that this gave me the same feeling I got when I started really using GTD-it’s a trusted system for all the information I want to make sure I remember. It’s more than that though–it’s a way to find patterns in knowledge and thing I’m learning, a way to create patterns, to store about anything… it’s fun, addictive (after a little over a week I have well over 1000 thoughts). I made a video review of it (my first video review) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTNlRPAq3gE In the video I call Personal Brain “new”–really it’s only new for me, it’s been around for about 10 years. Personal Brain is Java which means it’s available on Mac, Linux and Windows. It also means it’s not as Mac-like as most of my other favorite software, but it’s really not bad. Personal Brain comes in 3 versions - free, core and pro. The core and pro versions are expensive. Fortunately the free version is very adequate. There’s also an enterprise version (BrainEKP) which is networked and web-based. UPDATED: Video should work now - moved to YouTube
6 Responses
Bill
Wow, thebrain! I remember messing around with a version of that, probably around 10 years ago. With this and many of the other “mind mapping” apps I’ve seen and tried, I never can get past the neatness of using the app. I’ll enter some data, start to organize, and then just let it drop. Have you ever used Tinderbox from Eastgate? http://eastgate.com/Tinderbox/ It seems to have a similar view on organizing data (one of the many ways you can use the app). I’ve been tempted and tempted to try it out, but something about it (that I can’t quite explain) has kept me away from it.
Bill - I saw a review of Personal Brain on MacUpdate that really stated well what I’ve found - I like that w/ Personal Brain you don’t have to worry about layout like you do w/ TinderBox, OmniGraffle and even some mindmapping apps. The focus is solely on entering data and creating the relationships. You’ve got a couple options for viewing it in different ways but on the whole, where to put things isn’t a distraction at all. I still use FreeMind for some things - for example for starting projects and brainstorming. I find in those cases it’s better to be able to see the whole mindmap at once and a lot of those ideas aren’t really related to anything else (e.g. who’s the project manager on a 3 month project isn’t really relevant to the rest of my life). I turn to Personal Brain for anything that has long-term relevance. Someday I would like to give TinderBox more time, but right now I think I feel the same way you do about it…it’s probably the price that repels me. Personal Brain has a functional free version where as with TinderBox I’d really have to be able to justify dropping over $200 on it to make it worth considering (that’s more than OS X costs!).
Organized Living World » Your Personal Brain In 3-D
[...] It’s PersonalBrain 4.0 and I just found a nice video and explanation of it on another blog here. [...]
Erik
Hi Marcus, Your review convinced me to give this program a try. Thanks for that! However, the link you posted to Jerry’s Brain isn’t really correct (click on it and you’ll see the problem). You need to use this link in order to gain access to Jerry’s Brain. And now to embark on the epic task of digitizing my brain. 0.0
sead
Hi hmm, does anyone know if and how personal brain can be run on a phone or palm whatever mobile device thx
Sead: As far as I know there is no way to actually run Personal Brain on a palm or mobile device, though you can export and view it on an iPhone if you upload it to a website. It’d not ideal…but it’s something. I’d absolutely love it if it would work on the iPhone… I still use PersonalBrain daily but I think I’d use it even more if I could do it on the go.
TheBrain Technologies Releases PersonalBrain 4.5 for Advanced Content Visualization that Helps Users See and Find Information Faster New Robust and More Powerful Database Backend Sets No Limits to the Number of Thoughts and Files that Can Be Connected and Accessed in a Digital Brain.
Marina del Rey, CA (PRWEB) July 22, 2008 -- TheBrain Technologies, the leading provider of dynamic mind mapping software, announced its newest release, PersonalBrain 4.5, a complimentary upgrade for all PersonalBrain 4.0 users loaded with new features and a powerful new backend for its rapidly growing cross platform user base. PersonalBrain helps people make sense of the wide range of information they need to organize and assimilate on a daily basis. The software is so flexible and fluid that users can link any file or concept to anything else, creating an expansive and personalized network of information that visualizes key relationships and connections from the user's perspective. This intelligent view provides business users, scholars and hobbyists alike with a powerful context for research, analysis and decision making. With PersonalBrain users can activate any Thought in their Brain instantly, discover related information, remember ideas or tasks, and enhance their overall understanding of their digital world and information. "With PersonalBrain 4.5's optimized performance and highly scalable database, users can create an unlimited number of Thoughts in their Brains," said Harlan Hugh, Chief Technology Officer of TheBrain. "PersonalBrain 4.5 gives users the power to create their own knowledgebase that encapsulates literally everything. After using the software, standard folders and search lists feel barren and meaningless. Your digital Brain increases your personal productivity while providing meta-awareness and higher level of consciousness on otherwise invisible information relationships and concepts." PersonalBrain 4.5 helps people mind map their Thoughts, ideas and information with new visualization, searching and editing features. New features include:
Increased Performance - PersonalBrain's dynamic user interface enables one to visually navigate related information. All operations are now faster, from loading to creating information and navigation is up to 30 times faster. This increased speed opens up the ability to easily create Brains with hundreds of thousands of Thoughts.
Advanced Search and Indexing - PersonalBrain features a powerful search that lets users shift focus to anything that comes to mind in seconds. Live search results appear as users type, prioritized based on usage data. Version 4.5 intelligently interprets requests so the initials of a person can be used instead of their full name for example.
Superior Distant Thought View - PersonalBrain's exclusive display engine makes it a powerful visualization tool for concept and mind mapping. The engine continues to evolve in version 4.5 with an optimized view of second generation Thoughts for easier reading and an even more intuitive visual browser.
Merging Brains and Copying Thoughts - Users can now easily merge the contents of one Brain into another and use sophisticated copying functions to leverage a set of Thoughts and relationships in different contexts.
Excel and Word Relationship Import - Information structures from Word, Excel and other applications can now be imported into PersonalBrain. Outlines constructed outside of PersonalBrain are easy to import and are automatically visualized. The imported structures can be left as is or leveraged with the sophisticated tools available in PersonalBrain. Conversely, information can also be exported back out of PersonalBrain just as easily.
Complete Undo and Redo Editing - PersonalBrain's intuitive drag and relate technology lets users create and link numerous ideas and Thoughts in seconds. Now with complete undo and redo capabilities, users can make connections even faster. If a change is made and then reconsidered the multiple level undo buffer makes going back a one step process.
Pricing and Availability PersonalBrain 4.5 is a complimentary upgrade for all registered PersonalBrain 4.0 users. PersonalBrain is offered in three editions: Free, Core, and Pro (the most powerful edition). PersonalBrain Free is offered at no charge and does not expire. Download your PersonalBrain at http://www.thebrain.com/download. Using the free edition anyone can link unlimited ideas, notes and Web information on their desktops. Pro and Core editions are priced as follows: PersonalBrain Pro $249.95, PersonalBrain Core $149.95. PersonalBrain 4 is compatible with Windows XP, Vista, Linux, and Mac OS X. Awarding Winning Technical Support Recently TheBrain won Contact Center World's prestigious Best in Class Award for Knowledge Management. The award was garnered based on user support and votes. TheBrain Technologies offers free technical support to all PersonalBrain users and hosts a number of free educational events each month, including live Web training, PersonalBrain 101, every Friday at 10:00 am Pacific time. Sign up at http://www.thebrain.com/pb101 About TheBrain Technologies TheBrain® Technologies is the leading provider of dynamic mind mapping software. TheBrain's Enterprise Knowledge Platform, BrainEKP™, combines a natural language search engine with a compelling visual display of topics so users can see and discover information faster. TheBrain's PersonalBrain™ mind mapping software, helps users see and organize their digital lives the way they think about them. TheBrain's customers include: Encyclopædia Britannica, Navy Special Warfare, Tyco, Accenture, Park Nicollet, Medtronic and US Department of Defense. Download PersonalBrain at www.thebrain.com or e-mail info @ thebrain.com for more information. TheBrain, BrainEKP, and PersonalBrain are trademarks or registered trademarks of TheBrain Technologies LP. All other corporate names or trademarks stated herein are the property of their respective companies. ### Post Comment: Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/U3VtbS1NYWduLVNxdWEtU3F1YS1TaW5nLVNpbmctWmVybw==
6 Responses
hmm, does anyone know if and how personal brain can be run on a phone or palm whatever mobile device
thx