Build a universal data store, and if it provides for outlining, you can put a mindmapping front end on it.
I would use the mindmapping interface. The key isn't so much what features will communicate as much as possible, as it is the radial arrangement of manipulable nodes around a center. It can replace the table, so long as your architecture provides for outlining. In fact, I endorse the idea of distributed data architectures that essentially distribute metadata about relations among "entities" while leaving attribute values in place at various servers. Seth Mimi Yin wrote: > > The recent posts about mind-mapping make for a good segue to some > research and writing I've done on the topic of how to present gobs of > heterogeneous data in ways that let you immediately grok it, wrap > your head around it, get the big picture, see the forest for the > trees (pick your favorite cliche)... > > Information technology has done a lot in the realm of making it > really easy to create and disseminate lots of data. However, we > haven't made much progress in the realm of improving the way we > consume that data in aggregate. The problem of organizing, > categorizing, and making information more accessible is simply a > symptom of a larger and deeper problem: > > When we look at large piles of data (without looking at each data > point and parsing it in our heads and then flagging it, starring it, > tagging it, filing it or categorizing it in some way) we have no idea > what we're looking at, it's all a big mile of opaque mush to us. > > We can continue down this path of manually getting a grip on our > data, one data point at a time. Or we can explore ways to serve up > data in ways that are more transparent and "more comprehensible in > aggregate". > > Mind-mapping is one of them, but still in its infancy as far as > becoming an universally useful tool (capable of replacing the table > for example.) > > Here are some essays exploring why it is that "data in aggregate" (as > presented in lists and tables and text blobs) is so hard to "get" and > some ideas about how to make it easier to digest. > > http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Journal/ > ClassificationPaperOutline2 > > In particular: > http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Journal/ > TheProblemWithHeterogeneousInformation > http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Journal/PrinciplesOfGrok > http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Journal/WhyIsDataSoHardToGrok > http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Journal/LookingToThePhysicalWorld > http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Journal/TheUseOfColor > http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Journal/ChunkingOverTime > http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Journal/OneUppingNature > > I realize this is a lot of material, it took me a long time even to > get to this preliminary draft, but any comments and feedback would be > appreciated. Please ping me though if you do add comments. Thx, Mimi > > On Jan 19, 2006, at 10:02 AM, Reid Ellis wrote: > > > Open source, GPL'ed mindmapping tool for those who want to explore > > this: > > > > http://freemind.sourceforge.net > > > > Versions available for Mac, Windows, Linux (Debian, SuSe, and other > > rpm-based Linux). > > > > Probably not as polished as the official Buzan version (although > > Buzan's http://www.mind-map.com seems to be down). But it might > > give people more ideas. > > > > Reid > > > > _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ > > > > Open Source Applications Foundation "Design" mailing list > > http://lists.osafoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/design > > _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ > > Open Source Applications Foundation "Design" mailing list > http://lists.osafoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/design -- RIAA is the RISK! Our NET is P2P! http://www.nyfairuse.org/action/ftc DRM is Theft! We are the Stakeholders! New Yorkers for Fair Use http://www.nyfairuse.org [CC] Counter-copyright: http://realmeasures.dyndns.org/cc I reserve no rights restricting copying, modification or distribution of this incidentally recorded communication. Original authorship should be attributed reasonably, but only so far as such an expectation might hold for usual practice in ordinary social discourse to which one holds no claim of exclusive rights. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Open Source Applications Foundation "Design" mailing list http://lists.osafoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/design
