Twitter intergration has finally come to the world of mind mapping software, thanks to CS Odessa’s new MindTweet plug-in for ConceptDraw MINDMAP 7. This new tool enables you to brainstorm, organize and send Twitter messages from within the program.

MindTweet is available from the ConceptDraw Solution Park; it’s a free download. The app installs a new Twitter icon in the program’s main toolbar. Before you can use MindTweet, you must login to your Twitter account and authorize the app to communicate with it. Once that’s done, all you have to do is select a topic in your mind map, click on the Twitter icon and a dialog box pops up, containing the text of your tweet. It also displays the number of characters left out of the 140 maximum that Twitter allows. You can then edit your tweet as needed and send it. Before doing so, if you check the “done” box in the corner of the dialog box, MindTweet will automatically add a checkbox icon to that topic – giving you a visual indication that this tweet has been sent.

This app is the ultimate in simplicity. But how is it useful?

If your job involves managing social media for your organization, it’s a godsend. MindTweet enables you to brainstorm ideas, themes, keywords and entire tweets using ConceptDraw MINDMAP’s brainstorming mode. I can see how this could be very useful in small group brainstorming sessions. You can also use the program’s presentation mode to share your proposed tweet campaign with your boss or coworker, and annotate the map with their suggestions. You can categorize and organize topic tweets, noting priorities and adding notes for future reference. Icons can be used to denote tweets that are ready to send out, priority or order of tweets to be sent, and those that need additional work.

In other words, you can design an entire Twitter campaign and then send your tweets out – without leaving the mind mapping program.The radial format of a mind map makes it very easy to see the visual sequence of tweets you intend to send out. This approach is ideal for brand-building campaigns, where you want to be able to tell and build upon a consistent story over a series of tweets.

I’ve been using Twitter for several years now. To the best of my knowledge, there isn’t any program or online service that gives you the end-to-end power and flexibility that the ConceptDraw MINDMAP/MindTweet combo does. There are certainly many tools that enable you to write and schedule tweets, but nothing that gives you a palette upon which to brainstorm and organize an entire campaign like this.

A few shortcomings

There are three main features that I wish MindTweet offered, but I have to remember that this is a version 1.0 product:

First, MindTweet should have a link shortening tool built into it. If you have a long URL, you must use a link shortening service like bit.ly to generate a shortened URL, and then paste it into your tweet. This isn’t currently handled within MindTweet, but should be, in my opinion.

Second, it would be great if you could schedule tweets from within MindTweet, by turning topics into tasks and assigning a start date and time to them. But then you’d have to keep ConceptDraw MINDMAP open all the time, or would need to have tweets stored in an online repository. Perhaps future integration between MindTweet and HootSuite?

Finally, it would be very cool if MindTweet added a Twitter logo icon to the program’s symbol library. Why? So you could use it to differentiate between those topics that are tweets and others that are simply background information or raw ideas.

Conclusion

All things considered, MindTweet is a great effort by CS Odessa. It’s wonderful to see a developer who isn’t afraid to take the lead and develop an app that brings such valuable social media integration to the table. I can’t wait to see how MindTweet evolves – it should be quite interesting!

MindWave enables teams to collaborate on a mind map that anyone can add to or edit, and which can be “played back” like any wave so that new participants can see how it was constructed. Mind maps can also be downloaded and developed further in the desktop version of ConceptDraw MINDMAP.

MindWave 2 improves the application’s functionality in a number of ways:

• It opens with a “getting started” map to introduce new users to its functionality, so they can begin collaborating on mind maps more quickly within Wave.
• A horizontal scroll bar makes it easier to work with mind maps that are wider than the right-hand pane in Google Wave. This is important, because MindWave doesn’t appear to have a zoom feature. In practice, however, I found this horizontal scroll bar to be so thin that it was hard to see. Plus, your map doesn’t “float” within the workspace the way it does in desktop- and web-based mind mapping software. You must scroll downward to the bottom border of the MindWave application, where the wave of discussion begins, to access this miniscule navigation control.
• Web addresses are automatically reformatted to URL links
• New keyboard shortcuts have been added

If you go to the MindWave page on the CS Odessa website, it provides full instructions on how to install this gadget. Best of all, Google Wave is no longer invitation, only, so anyone can try it out.

Judging from the buzz on Twitter during the last couple of months, a large number of people are intrigued by the idea of creating mind maps within Google Wave. It’s good to see that at least one developer of mind mapping software continues to push a head in this brave new world of collaboration. I’m still not sure I quite understand how to use Google Wave, but recognize that it is still a work in progress and will continue to evolve in the months ahead.

This new plug-in gives users of ConceptDraw MINDMAP immediate access to the entire contents of their mind maps as well as project data stored in ConceptDraw MINDMAP or ConceptDraw PROJECT. Search results from these programs are viewable from the Google Desktop page.

CS Odessa cites research that knowledge workers spend up to 40 per cent of their time looking for information they need to do their job. Time spent searching for documents, re-creating documents that already exist, and shuffling through unstructured information costs organizations millions of dollars every year. Until now, content contained in mind maps was essentially invisible to programs like Google Desktop Search.

I believe this is a great move by CS Odessa; let’s hope that other mind mapping software vendors also take steps to ensure that the contents of mind maps created in their applications are also searchable in this manner.

• Your project data is maintained in both mind map and GANTT chart formats.
• From the GANTT view, you can select a person to whom tasks are assigned, right click and send them a mind map of their assignments (in JPG and ConceptDraw MINDMAP formats). Nice!
• Generate a full set of visually-oriented project reports, including project status, task status, completed tasks, tasks in progress, milestones and a work breakdown structure (WBS).

Several competing mind mapping software developers (OpenMind, for example) offer integrated GANTT charts and project management tools. But this is the first time that CS Odessa has moved to integrate its existing visual mapping and project management programs into a single program that offers the best of both worlds to their customers.

Full screen mode: in full screen mode, the program’s toolbars are hidden, maximizing the amount of space available to show your map. This new mode should be especially useful for presenting your mind maps in meetings; maps are fully editable in full screen mode via keyboard shortcuts, enabling you to annotate and add notes to them during the meeting.

Drag-and-drop hyperlinks: The newest iteration of ConceptDraw MINDMAP supports dragging and dropping of hyperlinks from a web browser onto a map topic. You can also drag-and-drop files onto topics to create file links.

New format for sharing mind maps: When you e-mail your map, the new version of ConceptDraw MINDMAP automatically generates an e-mail with your map converted to a PNG file format. This image format enables others to view your maps with multiple pages represented.

To read the official news release announcing the new version of concept draw off this and improvements to concept draw mind map, please click here. For more information about this mind mapping program, please click here.

This post has generated a record number of comments, and they continue to roll in. Commenters have generally agreed with my assertion, but there have also been some people who have highlighted some compelling reasons why this WON’T happen. It’s been a lively debate, and I encourage you to check it out and add your opinions to the mix.

As a next step, I decided to ask the developers of mind mapping software to comment on this prediction. They are closer to the actual users than most of us, which puts them in an ideal position to see the future direction of this software niche.

Here’s what they had to say:

Mind mapping, as a technique, is relatively unknown in the business world outside of a handful of countries like Germany, where it is taught in schools. Until now, it has been difficult for mind mapping enthusiasts to get the word out on the technique and many information workers remain unaware of the technology and its benefits. Mind mapping software tends to enter businesses through individual enthusiasts rather than through the IT department.

The primary way that someone learns about mind mapping is to observe a business associate who is using a mind mapping application to accomplish a specific task. What’s more, in the past, the only way for a business user to share their maps with others was to send a static PDF or “reader” version of their map, requiring the recipient to download a compromised application in order to interact with the file or view a flat image of a mind map.

Now, mind mapping software manufacturers are making the experience of an information map much more readily available to non-users with things like the “Mindjet Player” that allows map producers to send fully interactive maps embedded in a PDF file that gives anyone the multi-dimensional experience of working in a map. In addition, with the expansion of online mapping, people are able to collaborate remotely around a mind map with an experienced mapper in the driver seat giving non-mappers live exposure to the actual mapping process anytime, anywhere.

For the last 10-15 years, business users believed they had enough productivity tools. In fact, most of them believe they have too much unused productivity technology at their disposal. Now, with business environments getting more and more competitive and access to information creating even more stress, people are once more looking for a better way of doing things.  People in information-intensive professions like project management, sales and marketing, IT, web development, and other areas are looking for ways to make themselves stand out and be more competitive.

However, just seeing mind mapping technology in action is not enough to convince most people to take the necessary steps to change the way they work every day. It must be viewed as relevant and useful to the task at hand. More and more companies are using the technique as a central tool for project management, sales force enablement, of repetitive consulting s, strategic planning and more.

As the technique becomes more and more embedded in mission critical business applications, not only will individuals gain more exposure to the technology, but the technology will become a mandatory tool for success of work groups.

– Neil Mendelson, VP of Development, Mindjet

It totally depends on your definition of mainstream – if mainstream means that more than 50% of the population access and use mind mapping techniques on a daily basis, then the answer is a categorical No Chance!

For mapping to go mainstream it requires a significant change in human behavior and in doing so break the (bad) habits of a lifetime – the adage of teaching an old dog new tricks comes to mind!

Don’t get me wrong. You will always get exceptions to the rule, but in my opinion we are a generation away from mapping being truly mainstream. Sorry to burst the bubble, but ultimately I am a realistic Scot!

That does not mean to say that growth in mapping cannot be significant in 2009 and the years ahead – I genuinely believe it can, but it won’t happen simply by developers pouring additional gimmicks, bells and whistles into their applications (although that will always appeal to a small minority).

The bottom line is that mapping will go mainstream when a significant number of senior people within organizations (say 20%) recognize that the results they achieve by using mapping techniques (as individuals and as teams) far outweigh anything done previously. This improvement must be attributed directly to the use of mapping techniques across their business. It’s simple in concept. It’s just the that is a bit challenging!

Mapping lets you do things that were not practical before – drawing comparisons around successful outcomes is a no brainer!

I genuinely believe you have a role to play in making mapping mainstream, but focusing on functionality is not going to impress beyond the early adopters or the gadget chasers. Instead I believe we need a body of people conveying at every opportunity the outstanding business results that can be achieved through mapping techniques. The emphasis has to change.

You will notice I have dropped any reference to mind mapping in my discussion – it is deliberate, it is dated, it carries too much baggage and doesn’t really represent our industry at all. What can be achieved using mapping tools these days far outweighs ANYTHING associated with a sheet of paper and 4 colored pens!

– Donald Maciver, General Manager, MindGenius

Definitely 2009 will be a critical year.  I’ll approach it from 2 points.

From the mind mapping software developer’s point of view, our software is becoming more than just a mind map software.  We have mainstream features built into our MindMapper software, such as MS Office integration, project management and Gantt charts, Internet search, etc.  We can also “draw” so many different types of diagrams than just the traditional mind maps, so users will be able to easily adopt MindMapper into their every day usage.

From the user’s point of view, mind maps are gaining awareness more than ever before.  And now the products in the market are mature enough to satisfy a wide spectrum of mind map users, from novices to mind map professionals.

– Patrick Koh, MindMapper USA

I would argue that it has entered the mainstream already. Ten years ago no one knew what mind mapping was, today it has entered the business vernacular. We hear customers say to us all of the time I need to map out what I am doing. Maps are used everywhere now. I do not think that you could visit a single company that is over 2,000 people and not find mind mapping used. When we visit customers we see maps printed hanging on the walls, we see maps written out on whiteboards in conference rooms. Mapping is in the here and now, it is not just some futuristic maybe in ten year idea.

What I think we will see more of in 2009 is the benefits that come from people mind mapping. The ability for people to get the 10,000-meter view of what is important to them. Few other tools can deliver this macro view in such clarity. There will be more discovery in 2009 because of the mind map’s ability to present this. I see that mind mapping will have a big effect on non-technology oriented companies as they look to implement best practices in 2009.

– Matt Lewis, CS Odessa (developer of ConceptDraw MINDMAP)

If you have an opinion on the future direction of mind mapping software and its adoption by business, please share it in the comments area below.