Tree view: Mind Mapping

[quant]

One use of UR could be a general "mind mapping", cause the familiar tree structure of Data Explorer is nothing else than what we see on all those "Mind Mapping softwares", where nodes are items. The only thing that is needed, is different view of Data explorer tree. Once user hoists the item (that becomes the root item) and change Tree view, UR could be used as a Mind Mapping software. Examples of how "Tree View" could look like (static, no need for dynamic reorganization)...

Root on the left side:
http://www.mindgenius.com/website/images/new/home/familyhowto.gif

Root in the middle:
http://knoppix.tnc.edu.tw/knoppix_doc/stanix/image/freemind.jpg

Any ideas?

[zargron]

Hi quant.

I notice you've raised the topic of better "mind mapping" or "visualisation" previously, eg. the "Visualisation" thread you started 23rd of May. Have Kinook acknowledged your request in any way? Have they said no not interested or yes but it's X months or years away?

[quant]

The Visualization thread is related, but not the same. "Simple" mind mapping softwares, have kind of static tree view map (see pictures above), which could be (I hope) easily done with the current Data Explorer Tree.
The Visualization one is related to the recent "random links" thread started by wordmuse, where he requested "undirectional" links. In that case, the visualization becomes much more difficult, cause one needs to display graph, not a tree, and if the graph is dynamic and/or self-organizing, even more. That's the main difference.

I don't get any personal response, just what you see on this forum. If I expected personal response, I'd send them email directly, they reply most of the time very fast. If I have some idea, I just share it with users on this forum. Obviously I'd like to see those ideas implemented, and I'm sure if any request is met with a very positive reply from a lot of users, Kinook would include it in their list of features for future releases ... but some feedback of the form you asked about "no not interested or yes but it's X months or years away", would be nice ;-)

I started thread on "most wanted" features, I think that could provide very valuable information from users to Kinook, but not many users participated ;-)

What I'd like to see at the moment is some kind of Roadmap of the "big" features for the next release, there is one, but was not updated for a long time ...

[zargron]

Good points quant on differences between your visualisation ideas and wordmuse's random links ideas. I've also had excellent and speedy response from any emails that I've sent to Kinook.
I started thread on "most wanted" features, I think that could provide very valuable information from users to Kinook, but not many users participated
Don't be too harsh on yourself. What is there, about a dozen replies? Sorry I didn't deposit my two bobs worth. I've got a bunch of ideas documented that I'll expose once I'm clearer on how best to use UR.
What I'd like to see at the moment is some kind of Roadmap of the "big" features for the next release, there is one, but was not updated for a long time ...
Another reason I didn't contribute is because IMHO it was getting a little unwieldy. There's a danger that nobody will end up sifting through and sorting it out, (using something like UR. :D ) I don't use it, but there's a pretty good online roadmap (or Planned Features listing) for MLO. (http://www.mylifeorganized.net/products/my-life-organized/features-plan.htm)

[TMF]

I don't use it, but there's a pretty good online roadmap (or Planned Features listing) for MLO.
MLO developer is quite an exception (from what I could see in all the software I have ever used or examined), there are not many that share the roadmap, particularly not in such detail. Strangely enough, there were still quite a few users on MLO discussion group, unhappy about lack of feedback on the suggestions posted through the group...go figure.

That all said, at least a general roadmap, and knowing which of the suggestions posted here are "no way" and which at least a "maybe", would be nice.

[zargron]

Digressing for a moment...

You know what? ... I want Kinook to make (plenty) money from UR. I'm enjoying using UR and want to for quite sometime to come. Good for this goal is a development roadmap that gently lures people by allowing you to not only say "hey - this is already a bloody good product" ... but also ... "look at the great plans we've got for the future". As you hinted at Tom, that list needs to acknowledge peoples suggestions, no matter how good or bad, easy or hard they are. (A vibrant forum is of course good for business too! ;) )

Organisation of the road map. Yes Tom, I agree. It should at least be presented as: planned (with proposed version no), someday and maybe. Referring again to your post Tom, Kinook should aim to keep the community "happy" by giving good timely feedback on suggestions, eg. review all contributions and update once every week or two. (Shouldn't take too long to do. Perhaps they could ask whether there are any senior UR forum members out there willing to do it?)

[quant]

The MLO roadmap is very nice, and sth what UR should consider. As it is at the moment, even though Kinook replies to user problems in this forum, their replies to user suggestions are not that frequent. Also, there are many many good suggestions, and users have only little feedback from developers whether certain feature is already being developed, scheduled for some time in the future, or not considered at all. So let's start, haha :)

Kinook, please create another UR discussion directory, called "Roadmap", and let's get the ball rolling ...

[kinook]

We'll try to get an updated road map out soon.

[zargron]

Agree with this part of your comments quant...
...there are many many good suggestions, and users have only little feedback from [kinook] developers whether certain feature is already being developed, scheduled for some time in the future, or not considered at all.
However, regards...
Kinook, please create another UR discussion directory, called "Roadmap", and let's get the ball rolling ...
I don't feel we need another directory. Let's have Kinook monitor this Suggestions directory, transposing ideas into the "Roadmap". Perhaps when, in the opinion of Kinook, a thread has exhausted itself regards discussion of a particular topic, and its contents have been transposed to the Roadmap, they close it off. Forum readers can still look through the threads but Kinook know they don't have to go looking for any ideas to transpose. Obviously a rule regards contributing to the Suggestions directory is that you have consulted the Roadmap so that you don't initiate a previously discussed & documented suggestion!

[UR user]

Going back to the original mindmapping question on this thread:

I do think that a more visual representation of the data explorer would be a brilliant idea. I've always thought, and others have agreed in this forum, that a front end that looks like Mindmanager but a backend of UR would be truly powerful.

To be more concrete, here's what a better visualization of items would allow. It would allow me to drag and drop items much more easily into the proper locations. I know right now that by pressing shift during the drag and drop, in certain cases, I can locate info items above or below a specific info item. But that doesn't work consistently for me. Often, I get no "arrow" option and the drop just wants to move or link. Also, visually, it's very difficult to see where things are going to be located, etc. Contrast this with any of the mindmapping programs.

Another suggestion on this forum was to have dual explorer panes, so we can drag and drop more easily than the current slightly clumsy "move/link" dialogue. If it were easier to quickly navigate a mindmap like visualization, this would be less necessary.

Finally, internal wiki like links could be visually noted on the info item (either simply with a little icon or color, to say, hey, there's something here) or even better (and more complex), actually arrows that connect the two items.

Just thinking out loud here.