I want to make an information map
October 12, 2022 1:46 PM Subscribe
Can anyone recommend a type of mind mapping software for Mac or iOS that will fit MY particular needs?
For the last few weeks I've been doing a personal study project on a certain topic (too hard to explain and not really necessary to answer the question) that I'm finding is producing a lot of interesting and unexpected links between the things I'm finding out.
I started doing it by basically just surfing the web and copy pasting any interesting paragraphs into a text file. Then I was wondering if I could do it in a more visual way to really show the links I'm finding.
I'm using MindNode on my iPhone right now but I'm finding that it expects a very orderly branching structure from the beginning, whereas I'm putting the information in first and making the connections second. I could probably make MindNode work if that was all that existing, but maybe there's something better. I just don't know how to find it.
My ideal workflow would be like this:
- I do my regular web surfing and I see an interesting paragraph
- I paste it into this program as like a "card" or a "bubble" or a "thing"
- I draw a line between the "thing" I just made and any other existing things that I think it can be linked to.
- I wind up with something that looks like a map where the addition of the lines between things helps the reader see things they never noticed before
Ideally, it would also produce something that I could post on my website, as I am always in need of fresh content for the content mill. Otherwise I'd just use a big piece of paper or something.
What do you think?
For the last few weeks I've been doing a personal study project on a certain topic (too hard to explain and not really necessary to answer the question) that I'm finding is producing a lot of interesting and unexpected links between the things I'm finding out.
I started doing it by basically just surfing the web and copy pasting any interesting paragraphs into a text file. Then I was wondering if I could do it in a more visual way to really show the links I'm finding.
I'm using MindNode on my iPhone right now but I'm finding that it expects a very orderly branching structure from the beginning, whereas I'm putting the information in first and making the connections second. I could probably make MindNode work if that was all that existing, but maybe there's something better. I just don't know how to find it.
My ideal workflow would be like this:
- I do my regular web surfing and I see an interesting paragraph
- I paste it into this program as like a "card" or a "bubble" or a "thing"
- I draw a line between the "thing" I just made and any other existing things that I think it can be linked to.
- I wind up with something that looks like a map where the addition of the lines between things helps the reader see things they never noticed before
Ideally, it would also produce something that I could post on my website, as I am always in need of fresh content for the content mill. Otherwise I'd just use a big piece of paper or something.
What do you think?
Best answer: I've started using Obsidian out of a desire to go what you're talking about (plus a lot more). Here's a recent AskMe I posted on the topic.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 4:25 PM on October 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 4:25 PM on October 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: These are great but is there something in between - Obsidian's ability to have a headline/note content + Scapple's "Graph first" mentality rather than Obsidian's "Note first" mentality?
posted by bleep at 6:30 PM on October 12, 2022
posted by bleep at 6:30 PM on October 12, 2022
Best answer: I use Mural for this. You can paste in text, images, or URLs and connect them later. Miro is a similar product that some of my colleagues like too.
posted by kiripin at 9:37 AM on October 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by kiripin at 9:37 AM on October 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by past unusual at 1:59 PM on October 12, 2022 [2 favorites]