The Many Uses for Mind Maps

I have a number of training workshops coming up in the next couple of weeks and what better way to plan them out then with a mind map. Using a mind map gives you the ability to get your ideas down and then gives you the flexibility to move your ideas around as you survey the landscape. When I first open up the mind map I quickly to a "brain dump" on the topics I plan to cover and once that is in place, I can begin to see how all the pieces fit together. It gives me a great deal of freedom knowing that I have complete control of how to structure the day by getting a snap shot of the activities and topics planned. Once I have decided on my topics I often will turn on the numbering feature which lets me take a look at the sequence of events.

If I plan on using web sites in my training session I will attach a hyperlink to the activity. Likewise, I will often add notes to my mind map which can provide additional information to my participants on a topic that I will be covering. But the real benefit of using a mind map for the development of my training sessions is that when I am done I can quickly turn my map into a Word document which becomes an easy to use handout for the session. Both MindManager 8 & MindView 3 have excellent Microsoft Word integration for exporting your mind maps to a visually pleasing Word document. For those colleagues of mine who are more visual they get the mind map on the front page of the handout right before the Table of Contents. One of the advantages of building my training handout in a mind mapping tool is that the Table of Contents is linked to the contents. By Control clicking on an entry in the Table of Contents the user is automatically taken to the topic in the body of the handout. All of the web links are carried over as well, which makes it very easy for my participants to go to those sites during the class. In my effort to go green, I have created a number of Google Sites which then allows me to upload my handout to.

For those of you who use Adobe Acrobat you can quickly convert your Word handout to a PDF which protects your materials. You should note that all of the links in your document are maintained which gives the user a very good experience as they interact with your handout.

All in all, using mind maps to prepare and plan for training sessions has been just one more way that I have found to use mind maps in the course of my professional work. When you are done planning you can quickly turn them into highly interactive handouts that your participants will enjoy using.

If you would like to learn more about how you can benefit from your investment in a mind mapping program send me an email. I can provide you with personal coaching and demonstrate to you all of the ways you can use your mind mapping application so you can get ahead of the pack.

Searching Google with Context Organizer

One of the tools that I have been relying more and more on is Context Organizer. With the increase of information that we all need to process it is great to have a tool like Context Organizer to help me make sense of the information and summarize it for me. I have explained in past blog posts how Context Organizer can be used with MindManager 8 to build a map from URL's, PDF files and Word Documents. But one of the most powerful features is being able to do Google Searches and within seconds have the sites that are found summarized with key words and relevancy at my disposal. Context Organizer allows me to do my Google searches and processes them with a click of the button. If you want to see what I'm talking about then take a look at the video below to give you an idea of the power of this tool.

While not specifically developed for individuals with reading difficulties just think of how this can be used to help students deal with the mountains of text that they encounter each and every day. Using Context Organizer, information can be quickly summarized for students and then using a text to speech software the information could be read. There is also the ability to send the summaries to Microsoft Word which could make this a great research tool for students with reading and writing disabilities. Think of this as cognitive assist for students with reading disabilities and a great tool for doing research. You can download a trial of Context Organizer at their website.

MindMap Navigator 1.3 is Released

FYI

I want to inform you that MindMap Navigator 1.3 is released. With new functionality it becomes more powerful and easier to use. Below is the list of features being added in the new version:

- Mapview context menu item "Sync with Navigator" allows to position the currently selected MindManager topic in Navigator tree;
- Enhanced "show branch alone" option: now you can set the level of details for the filter - 1,2 or expand all levels;
- MindMap Navigator now works with Mindjet Connect maps;
- State of options on the toolbar is saved when MindManager closes ;
- Ability to Cut/Copy/Paste and Delete multiple topics in the Navigator tree.
Also, several errors were fixed.

You can download your trial copy with a following link: http://www.mind2chart.com/Downloads/Trial/MMNavigator13_en.zip

This upgrade is free for existing users.

Context Organizer for MindManager Webinar

Yesterday I had a chance to participate and present information about Context Organizer, in a virtual MindManager User Group Meeting at a Fortune 100 company. After presenting and being a participant in various webinars, I am still amazed at what can be accomplished without the need to be in a face to face meeting. The hour long meeting went very smoothly and when it was my turn to present I shared my computer desktop with the group and showed them how Context Organizer, a MindManager add-in can be used to summarize Word documents, web addresses, and PDF files right within a MindManager map.

I have posted about Context Organizer before and I have a couple of video demonstrations to show you the power of this tool. The MindManager User Group had selected to see a demonstration of Context Organizer in action because one of the member's of the group had been using it to plow through large documents with great success. You can think of Context Organizer as a "search engine for documents," in that it finds the most relevant keyphrases and information and succinctly summarizes it for you. If your work requires you to read through large documents or to do analyze web sites, PDF's or Word documents you really owe it to yourself to look at Context Organizer. Having the ability to access Context Organizer within MindManager is a real asset in how the information is graphically organized. For those of you who don't own a copy of MindManager 8 you will be happy to learn that Context Organizer is also a standalone product that can help you summarize documents and send the information directly to Microsoft Word.

As a postscript to this webinar, I should share with you that I used my recently purchased Acer Aspire Netbook to present from. You see when I went to use my Dell XPS laptop the virtual meeting platform did not support Internet Explorer 8, so my only option was to use my netbook. I am happy to report that my netbook worked just fine even with all of the heavy lifting. To complement my presentation, I also used Canson's Papershow product which is an ideal tool to use when you are doing a webinar. With Papershow I could share my ideas and write them down so that other could see them as if I was writing on a whiteboard. Everything I wrote down was shared and at the end of the webinar I could save it as a PDF file to email. Here is an example of what I wrote and shared with the group using Papershow. Papershow is a real natural-when doing virtual presentations or distance learning and is as easy to use as pen and paper.

Please feel free to leave me a question about mindmapping

Interview with Mike Taylor Developer of StrengthsMapper for MindManager

Last week I had the opportunity to interview Mike Taylor the developer of the recently released MindManager 8 add-in called StrengthsMapper. Mike was kind enough to invite me into the beta testing of StrengthsMapper so that I could get a chance to use it before it was released. I also had the opportunity to read StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath and Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie which is the foundation for understanding how StrengthMapper can be used on a personal level and with a team in a business environment. Essential to understanding how StrengthsMapper can be used is the notion that as an individual we all possess strengths which when identified can be used to propel us forward in our personal and professional lives. As a psychologist, I can certainly relate to these premises and in my own work with children and adults know how important it is to help focus on an individual's strength as a means to work through their difficulties.

In 2001, Gallup introduced an online assessment, StrengthFinder which helped individuals identify their Top 5 talents among 34 different themes. You can find out more information about the online assessment which has been updated to StrengthsFinder 2, and take the assessment online for a nominal fee. Once you have identified your Top 5 themes you can now begin to put together an Action Plan around them. During the interview, Mike Taylor explained to me that as an engineer and business consulting he learned early on that he could make more headway with his clients when he focused on their individual strengths. Managing talent by helping others focus on their top 5 themes and then developing an Action Plan was a very powerful tool and one that Mike wanted to share with others. Being an avid MindManager 8 user, Mike thought that if he could marry the power of MindManager 8 and present a graphic depiction of an individual's 5 Top themes that he could have a very powerful personal development tool. With this, Mike set out to do just that and developed the MindManager 8 add-in called StrengthsMapper.

Once you take the StrengthsFinder 2 online assessment, you can quickly key in the information into StrengthsMapper and have a visual depicition of your Top 5 themes. You can see my 5 Top themes in the map to the Left. The power of this tool is not only on being able to visually stay focused on your strengths but by being able to build an Action Plan for the week, month and year ahead. StrengthsMapper is an easy and powerful tool to help you tune into your strengths and to build upon them via the Action Plans you create. Two version of StrengthsMapper are available, one for personal use called StrengthsMapper, and StrengthsMapper Pro which was developed for building effective teams by helping organizations to match talents and skills that are needed for a project. For more information you can go to StregthMapper.com

To listen to the audio interview click here or hover over the speaker icon: Interview with Mike Taylor

MindMap Navigator Released for MindManager 8

One of the features that is often asked for in MindManager 8 is a Map Explorer. For anyone who has used MindManager 8 with large maps you know that it can get rather unwieldy to navigate the map once it gets to large proportions. There was time when Mindjet Labs had put together an exploratory add-in that added a Map Explorer to MindManager 6 but development stopped and it was never upgraded for the current version of MindManager. This week I was excited to see that the Mind2Chart Team had just released a new add-in called MindMap Navigator that adds a full featured Map Explorer Pane to MindManager 8.

MindMap Navigator 8 add-in adds a fully functional Map Explorer to MindManager 8 that allows you to view your map in a Tree structure. Once MindMap Navigator is installed you will find a new pane called MindMap Navigator that you can open and close. Once the pane is opened you will be able to view all of your recent mind maps and open them from the MindMap Navigator pane. MindMap Navigator lets you quickly move from one branch in your map to another via the Tree structure. By double clicking on a branch in the MindMap Navigator pane you can jump to the branch in your map. View a video demonstration of MindMap Navigator by clicking on this link. Additionally, you can click on the Show Branch Alone button to isolate your branch in the map. You can also select branches and set a Relationship which you can format in your map. You also have the ability to Expand and Collapse Branches to help you quickly navigator through your mind maps. MindMap Navigator is a welcome addition and a must have for anyone who creates large maps. Having a Tree structure to navigate through your large mind maps makes it an ideal tool and one that you will say "how did I ever do without it." For more information and to download a trial version of MindMap Navigator click here.

Interview with Phil Novack of Mindjet

I recently had the opportunity to interview Phil Novak, Manager of Global Communications at Mindjet and ask him some question about the recent release of Mindjet MindManager 8 CPA Edition.

Brian S. Friedlander: I noticed that Mindjet just released MindManager 8 CPA edition- I was wondering if you could tell me more about this edition and how it differs from the standard version of MindManager 8?

Phil Novack: The MindManager CPA Edition is a purpose-built tool that enables CPA's to synthesize information and communicate it all in a way that business understands. The MindManager software is not changed; however, the CPA Edition includes with MindManager twenty-four custom-built templates that were developed by CPA's for

CPAs.

Brian S. Friedlander: Can you share with us how this edition came to be? And how will CPA’s will benefit from using MindManager 8 CPA edition?

Phil Novack: The edition came to be as a result of Mindjet’s relationship with Tom Hood from the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA). CPA's are trusted advisors for clients and peers, and today the business and accounting worlds are changing at unprecedented rates. MindManager CPA Edition is focused on providing CPA's the following benefits:

• Improve organization

Organize and find information you need quickly and efficiently in a map. By adding and updating information, documents, and hyperlinks in the map, you can count on having the most current information at your fingertips.

• Track processes

Manage the evolving accounting landscape and cope with increasing complexity and ongoing standard changes. Track and understand your unique processes within a living document and allows you to understand all the moving parts.

• Communicate more effectively

See the forest without losing site of the trees. Detailed maps of your processes provide context that drives team

and stakeholder alignment. Communicate with engaging visual illustrations that speak to business in the language it understands.

What are some of the templates that are included in this version?

· Audit Plan

· Audit Checklist

· Internal Audit Checklist

· Due Diligence

· Organization Chart

· XBRL Implementation

· Board Meeting

· And more…

Brian S. Friedlander: Can we expect to see other editions of MindManager 8 that are geared to a specific profession or industry?

Phil Novack: Mindjet sees great potential in providing solutions for our customers that focus on the specific business value for their role or industry. While we can’t comment specifically on any future products, we recognize the tremendous value solutions like these provide for our customers and are always working to serve them better.

For more information about MindManager CPA Edition Click here.

Mindjet Unveils Image Library Add-In for MindManager to Help Users Better Illustrate Their Information

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - June 24, 2009) - Mindjet®, the leading provider of personal productivity and collaboration solutions that visually connect ideas, information and people, today announced an image library add-in for MindManager 8 and MindManager 7. Customers now have access to more than 300 bold, rich images that will add depth, visual appeal, and meaning to their MindManager maps.

The new images help users' information come to life. For quick and easy access, they are stored within the pre-existing MindManager Library tab, reducing the need to conduct image searches outside the MindManager application. With more visual assets at their fingertips, users can save time and maintain focus by keeping their workflow process moving inside MindManager.

The image library add-in provides seamless integration with MindManager -- users can download the library from Mindjet.com and have access to hundreds of new visual assets within minutes.

"Visually presenting ideas and information through MindManager is a powerful method of communication and collaboration," said Neil Mendelson, vice president of products for Mindjet. "The new image library add-in augments these capabilities and helps our users create that 'wow' factor by adding visual depth and enhanced aesthetic appeal to their task lists, project plans, brainstorming concepts, meeting agendas and more."

Unlike documents, presentations and e-mail that constrain you to working one page at a time, MindManager's visual approach on an expandable canvas, or "map," efficiently organizes complex ideas and processes to increase clarity and turn ideas into action. Personal or business information and processes can be viewed at a glance, with the ability to drill into details by clicking into sub-topics and branches.

The MindManager image library add-in for MindManager 8 and MindManager 7 is available immediately for the English, German and French Windows desktop versions of the product. Japanese will be available at a later date. It's available for purchase and electronic download at the Mindjet online store or through a Mindjet corporate sales or channel representative for $29.

How to Customize the Quick Access Toolbar in MindManager 8

I was inspired to put this video tutorial together after reading Michael Deutch's post last week on How to Access Your Most Frequently Used Features in MindManager 8. I know that I use the Quick Access Toolbar all the time and like to have some of my favorite features easily accessible. In the video tutorial I will take you step by step through the process so that you can see how it is done. It is a very handy feature and one I know you will use. Please let me know which features you have added to your Quick Access Toolbar in MindManager 8. Click here to view the video tutorial. Enjoy!

Using the Task Management Features in MindManager 8

For small to medium businesses who are using MindManager 8 for project planning and keeping tabs on projects, one feature which you will want to explore is the Task Management features built into MindManager 8. As a consultant and small business owner I often am doing small projects that may not require a dedicated project management tool- but I still will need a way to keep on top of my projects and tasks. For this reason, one of new features which I am using more and more in MindManager 8 is the ability to use the Roll Up feature when using the Task Information pane. If you are like me and using MindManager 8 to help you plan and keep on task, then you will find the the new Roll Up feature to be indispensable. All of the task information features can be found in the Task Info pane within MindManager 8.

To get started use MindManager 8 to brainstorm the tasks for the project. Once you have organized the tasks and sequenced them in the order that you will perform the task, select the Central topic and Open the Task Info Pane. In my example, I selected the central topic, Revise Assistive Technology DVD and from the Task Info Pane selected "Roll up task info to here." You also want to make sure that you have checked off Show past-due as: and Show as-risk as:- which I will explain later.

Next go through your tasks and set the number of days each task will take in your mind map. For the first task, you can use the Calendar to set the Start date for the project. It is best to leave the end date blank and let MindManager 8 calculate the end dates based on your task dependencies. By default MindManager 8 will set each task to 1 day duration which is easily changed in the Task Info Pane. For the final step you will use the Relationship feature to link your tasks in the order that you would like to complete them. By default MindManager 8 will set the dependency to Finishto Start and you will see a little FS icon on the relationship line to denote this. If you would like to fine tune the dependency relationship this too can be done in the Task Info Pane. Once you have set the dependencies for your tasks you will see that under your Central topic the Start date and calculated finish date with the cumulative number of work days to complete the task under the topic.

Once you start using your mind map to track your project's progress you will begin to see the real value of the Roll Up feature in MindManager 8. As you input the task completion percentages into your mind map, MindManager 8 will roll up the information to the central topic allowing you to get a quick overview of your overall progress and visually see which tasks are past due or at risk of not completing on time. MindManager 8 will display icons on those task which may be past due or at risk of not be completed which can give you a quick overview of where you need to concentrate your efforts. You can watch the video tutorial here to see how to use the Roll Up feature. I welcome your comment and how you are using this powerful feature in MindManager 8.

Revisiting MindManager Web

Just last week Michael Deutch, Mindjet's Chief Evangelist wrote a piece about some of the updates to MindManager Web which bears looking at. Michael shared that they have added over 100 usability features to MindManger Web. Some of these new features include:

* Use shortcut keys for working more efficiently
* Save maps locally and share with other MindManager users
* Edit and Replace documents in your workspace
* Invite ANYONE to instant meetings (invite other account members or anyone else with their email)
* Print preview improvements
* And 100+ additional usability improvements to enhance your mapping experience

While I usually have access to a computer or laptop with MindManager 8 installed there have been a couple of times this year when I needed access to MindManager 8 and was not in front of my computer. In this instance, having access to MindManager Web made it easy for me to map out the material from the computer lab at the college that I teach at. It was a great feeling being able to access my mind map from the web and to be able to format it just the way that I needed to. I have found MindManager Web is very responsive and gives you all of the essential tools that you need to get the job done. I could easily add markers, relationships, and format my map as if I was running MindManager 8 from my desktop computer. To say the least, my team of educators was very impressed with the outcome-which we later used as part of our presentation. Having access to my mind maps in my Workspace from virtually any computer connected to the web is really a fantastic feature.

I was really intrigued with the new Instant Meeting feature which would allow me to invite not only individuals that are part of my account, but anyone with an email address. I decided to give that feature a test drive and invited my wife, into an Instant Meeting. Once I started the session, I entered my wife's email address, MindManager Web ran a small viewing application and I was off and running. My wife opened her email and clicked on the link that was provided and again a small Instant Meeting applet ran. Once this was complete my wife could see my screen and the map I was working on. MindManager Web worked very smoothly and now gives me the freedom to share my maps and other documents with others who do not have a Mindjet Connect subscription. I think that you too will find MindManager Web to be an extremely handy tool when you are away from your laptop or desktop and need access to your maps. You will find MindManager Web very responsive and an aesthetically pleasing environment to work within. Check out the improved Instant Meeting feature in MindManager Web when you need to share mind maps or other documents with your colleagues. Give the Instant Meeting feature a try and let me know how it goes.

Mind2Chart 1.5 for MindManager is released

We are glad to announce the release of an updated version of our project management add-in for MindManager, with new great features:

• "always ON" mode: You no longer need to open the Gantt pane to have your plan updated while you edit. Mind2Chart recalculates its topics continuously to make sure that you always have correct information.

• Task auto-rollup support: Mind2chart supports disabling editing of task information for group tasks - a new feature in MindManager 8. This allows visualizing group tasks on the map to show that this information is auto-calculated with Mind2Chart.
• Save gantt as image: This feature gives you more flexibility on visualizing your plans - now you can save Gantt chart as an image and then print it with any scale you like, or put it on a webpage.

Although Mind2Chart is well-known for it's high performance, now it works up to 40% faster on bigger maps with complex dependencies.

Along with some fixes we have added improvements according to requests from our customers. In particular, now Mind2Chart saves the positioning and selection of columns in a Gantt view allowing you to customize Gantt according to your preferences.

A good news for existing Mind2Chart users - this upgrade is free of charge, simply install new version over the old one to get great new features. If you are not the Mind2Chart user yet - it is one more reason to try our add-in. Try now !

On the Road with the Acer Aspire One

I'm on the road today and stopped into a Panera's to have some coffee and use their free wifi on my recently purchased Acer Aspire One. Many of the schools and students that I am working with have been asking me about these netbooks and I thought that it was time to invest in one so that I could try it out and use it with some of the students that I'm presently working with. When I saw the Acer Aspire One on sale at Staples for $299 dollars I knew it was time to jump in. The 2.2 pound Acer Aspire One has worked famously and while the keyboard is a little smaller than the typical laptop keyboard it is fine for some light typing. In fact I'm blogging from my Acer Aspire One right now without any difficulty. I typically have the screen zoomed in so that it is easier for me to see te text. By putting two fingers on the trackpad and gesturing towards the side of the computer you can easily zoom in which makes it a lot easier for me to see the text. For younger students with smaller hands and better eyesight the screen and keyboard should not be an obstacle.

I have installed some of my favorite applications on the Acer Aspire One, which has a a 160 Gb hard disk drive running the Intel Atom processor with 1 GB of RAM. The Acer Aspire One runs surprising well and is very responsive even running larger applications like Microsoft Office 2007 and MindManager 8. Having used the Acer Aspire One for the past couple of weeks I has lead me to believe that this could be an ideal assistive technology tool for students with writing disabilities. I have used the Acer Aspire One with a couple of students who have used Inspriation 8 in the writing process and it worked like a charm complete with text to speech. Transferring the student's work to Microsoft Word from Inspiration was very fast. I was also able to install NaturalReader the free text to speech application which worked well right within Microsoft Word. All told I have been really happy with the Acer Aspire One and look forward to seeing how other will benefit from this technology. At just 2.2 pounds and a battery life of around 2.5 hours this could be a great assistive technology tool.

Mindjet Connections February Newsletter Available

I want to thank Gaelen from Mindjet for the fantastic interview that she did with me as part of her Customer Focus series in the Mindjet Connections Newsletter. You can read the entire interview and how I am using MindManager 8 in the professional work that I do. Also check out my video tutorial on how to use the "To Do" List in MindManager 8.

Mindjet Connections Newsletter Available

Check out this month Mindjet Connections Newsletter for some really great articles from Jamie Nast, Michael Deutch, and Stephanie Diamond. You will also find a new video tip that I created showing you the new built in Web Browser feature which is extremely powerful. Also find out more about GyroQ which was just recently released for MindManager 8 to help you keep on track.

Olympic Utilities for MindManager 7 & 8

Over the past couple of months I have had the opportunity to touch base with some of the developers of MindManager add-ins to see what they had up their sleeves for 2009. I was delighted to find out when speaking with Nigel from Olympic Limited that his company would shortly release a MindManager 7 & 8 add-in called Olympic Utilities. The Olympic Utilities tools once installed can be viewed as a new Ribbon Tab within MindManager giving you access to the various tools. Nigel was kind enough to provide with a license so that I could test it out. Olympic Utilities was very easy to install and I was up and running in no time. Once installed you will find that you have a new ribbon with ten new utilities that you can use within MindManager. The ten utilities include the following:

Link2Attachment

A handy utility that will convert a hyper linked document such as a PDF file or a Word document and change it to an Attachment (embedded within the map). The add-in also allows you to either keep the current hyperlink or have it replaced which allows for additional flexibility.

Topic Text Lock/Un-Lock

This utility allows you to select a Topic and then lock the text so it cannot be changed by other users of the map, (unless they have Olympic Utilities installed). When a Topic is locked, it is indicated by a padlock icon on the Topic.

Topic+Topic

Allows you to add selected Topics, (providing they have a numerical text title), and have the sum either displayed on screen or added to the map.

Topic2CallOut/CallOut2Topic

Change Topics to Call-Out Topics or back again with a single click.

Topic2Date

Takes the selected Topic and inserts a user selected date. The user can select to have the day of the week added to the Topic if desired.

Map2Left

This function allows you to open a map which has its Topic alignment set to Left so that all new Topics created are added to the left hand side of the map.

Topic2Notes

Takes the selected Topic and steps through the sub-topics and converts them into Text Notes of the selected Topic.

Topic2Resource

Takes the selected Topic and its first Sub-Topics and creates a new Map Marker Group and adds the Sub-Topics as Resources.

Topic Calculator

Use this on a numerical Topic to display different conversion such as Miles/Kilometers, Inches/Feet etc. Also allows basic math calculations to be carried out on the selected Topic and the result added to the map.

Topic2Vertical

Takes the selected Topic and makes the Topic orientation vertical. This allows the user to select the character spacing of the resulting Topic as well.

As noted I found Olympic Utilities easy to use and found some of the commands quite intriguing. I really enjoyed being able to quickly insert the date into a topic using Date2Topic and the TopicCalculator was outstanding and very well implemented. The ability to quickly change the text in a topic from horizontal to vertical orientation using the Topic2Vertical could come in handy as was the ability to lock the text in a topic with TopicTextLock. The Link2Attachment is one of my favorites and one that I will use often. With Link2Attachment you are quickly able to turn your links into attachments thereby embedding the document in the map. The more you use Olympic Utilities the more it grows on you. I was wondering what your favorite Olympic Utilities feature is? If you enter at the right top of the blog page your name and email you will be in the running for a FREE copy of Olympic Utilities- but you have to be in it to win! You can also purchase a copy of Olympic Utilities in the in the AssistiveTek Prostore. So check it out!

Context Organizer for MindManager-Screencast

I recently did a post about Context Organizer for MindManager and thought that you would be interested in seeing how it actually works within MindManager with this screencast. Please note just how easy it is to use within MindManager and how it is able to extract and summarize the key words to give you the context. In the screencast you will see how it works to give you the context within a PDF and Microsoft Word file as well as within a blog. Enjoy. Look for another post about how Context Organizer can be used for Microsoft Office and the Web to summarize information.

If you or your company are interested in learning how you can integrate Context Organizer into your workflow, please feel free to email me. This is an ideal tool for executives, research analysts, or for anyone who has to plow through reams of reports or do research on the web. Context Organizer can also be integrated into existnig software applications- so please contact me if you need additional information.

Context Organizer for MindManager

I have been meaning to write about Context Organizer from Context Discovery for some time now and was recently reminded just how important this tool will become as we become increasingly inundated with information that we will be required to juggle in the work that we do. In my last post about, Wordle I received an interesting comment that made me think about Context Organizer and its value in the work that we do as information workers. Wordle is an online application that can pull out the keywords that are in the text and create a way to help us visualize the key content that is body of the text. One of my readers has been using Wordle to do just that- by copying and pasting text into Wordle it can quickly give you the context of the material entered. It was this comment that sparked me to delve more into the Context Organizer which can be used to summarize web pages and documents of different types to help you pinpoint relevant information.

I was first attracted to Context Organizer because of the fact that it is an add-in to MindManager 7 & 8. Using Context Organizer you are able to quickly get the context of attached documents as well as web sites right within MindManager 8, that are visually displayed as topics and subtopics. In the screen shot to the left you can see that I have a PDF document attached to the topic, Inclusion Times Issue.
With Context Organizer running it automatically created the rest of the topics and subtopics to the left of the topic Inclusion Times Issue, by looking at the content of the PDF file that was attached. You can see that it pulled out the 3 top keywords as well as the Summary which gives me a great idea of what I would find if I were to open the PDF file and readthe entire document. Context Organizer will also will give you more extensive summaries of the PDF that are included within the the MindManager 8 map as you can see from the screenshot to the right. Context Organizer is very easy to use and when you Right click on a topic the Context Organizer menu options are displayed along with any Options that you would like to set. Context Organizer can also be used for determining keywords from websites that are connected to your visual maps from within MindManager 7 & 8. If you are a MindManager 7 or 8 user and are looking for a tool to help you wade through piles and piles of documents and or websites than you should definitely take a look at Context Organizer for MindManager. Context Organizer works with MindManager 7 as well as 8 and is a very handy tool to help you find the context of the documents as well as websites right within MindManager. There is a free trial available at the Context Discovery website. So give it a try and post your comments here.