Posts Tagged ‘knowledge management’

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Painless Annual, Quarterly and Monthly Returns

Tuesday, April 16th, 2013

I was using my Cabre’s Financial Administration map today to complete the annual return to Companies House which confirms who the directors , shareholders etc. are. It’s been online for several years and the fee even went down this year from £14 to £13!

As using the map made it very easy for me to complete and the original post about it was in 2008, I thought it might be worth reminding you of the benefit of using Mindjet for this. The process went like this:

  1. Received reminder email from Companies House. Click link to submission page.
  2. Open Cabre Finance Map > Companies House branch. Copy password, registration no. and authentication code to submission page.
  3. Complete submission. Paste submission number and payment reference on this years return branch.
  4. Use Outlook MindManager Add Ins to paste confirming emails on branch.
  5. Add a topic with date and topic alarm for next years submission.

I use similar processes for VAT, PAYE, Corporation Tax, Insurance, Annual Accounts.  All the web links, log in details  and records of past transactions are on one map.

Simple.

Finance Annual Return mind map

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BlogSummarizer a new way of accessing and summarising blog content

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

My friend Henry Lewkowicz at Context Discovery has been working on the automatic extraction of knowledge summaries from a variety of sources including Wikis & Word docs and now Blogs. On the right hand side of this blog you will now see a BlogSummarizer widget.  First select a keyword (they are automatically extracted from the blog) and then click Knowledge Map or Keyword Search.

Knowledge Map – A new window will open with a map whose central topic is the keyword and the branches are the secondary keywords.  Keep on clicking to dive deeper.

Keyword Search – Shows a map of the blogs with that keyword. Click the plus sign at the end of each topic to reveal a blog summary.  This allows you to quickly review the entries before visiting a specific blog by clicking Source.

The maps can be exported for you to continue your research in application which suits you.

The best thing is to select a keyword and give it a go.

I have already given Henry some feedback:

  • Some of the primary keywords need hiding e.g. MindManager in the Applications of MindManager are redundant and the blog owner needs to be able to hide them.
  • I think anything that is a link should be a consistent colour. Some are blue some are black.  Don’t miss the black ones like I did!

What would you change or add or improve?

Visit these sites to try BlogSummarizer on your blog or WebSummarizer to get summaries of other web sites.

BlogSummarizer - Relevance MattersWebSummarizer - relevance matters

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Evernote and MindManager Integration: Browser, Map Parts, RSS Feeds

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012

Whenever Graham Wilson asks a question it sparks me into doing some research as to what MindManager can do. Sunday’s question was “How do you integrate Evernote with Mind Mapping?“. There is not a simple answer but a variety of tools you can employ.

  1. Evernote tool in Mindjet WebThere is an Evernote Export from Mindjet Web (was Connect). Select a topic, click the Evernote tool, select the approriate options and you could have a topic, subtopics and links from a map as an outline in an Evernote note and a link back to the Mindjet Web map.
  2. You can drag and drop or copy and paste Evernote urls to a Mindjet 11 for Windows (or its MindManager predecessors) map or copy and paste for Mindjet Web.
  3. Open Evernote in Mindjet’s (MindManager’s) built in browser and use the paste function to create a dashboard of your Evernote notes. If you saved this in Mindjet (Cloud) Files, you could access the map from Mindjet Web or the mobile apps. You can also save it in Dropbox and read it in a MindManager compatible web or mobile app.  I could create an Evernote dashboard in Mindjet and add alarms, resources, task info to the Evernote Topic on the map.

    Here is a short video showing the adding of Evernote Note’s to a map. Best viewed full screen:


    Unable to display content. Adobe Flash is required.

  4. With Public Evernotes you can use an RSS feeder to get Evernotes on to a MindManager map. See Tips and tricks on using Connect with Evernote in the Mindjet Community and look at the Related Items below.  It you don’t tell anyone else the public Evernote URL it’s fairly private.

Is there an opportunity for an add in developer to do more?  Or has it already happened?

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What were you using MindManager for over the Summer (or Winter)?

Monday, September 3rd, 2012

It’s been a while since I posted and that’s because it’s was the summer in England! Well it was rather a damp summer. It feels like my cricket games were evenly split between those that were called off the day before, those where we had a few overs and then ran for cover, and few matches which were completed in pleasant sunshine (I missed the 30 deg C game). Now it’s the first full week back in the office and I wondered what I (and you) had been using MindManager for over the holiday period?

 

There’s my quick list.  What did you use MindManager for in the last couple of months?

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Managing a deceased estate with a checklist and hyperlinked MindManager map

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

Sometime in your life you have to manage the affairs of someone who has died. Which is what I am doing now. I thought I would share my general checkmap and links with you. I have another specific one for tracking the estate I am the executor for. The hyperlinks are for those in the UK. If I have missed anything please tell me!

Executor checklists and links to relevant web sites for managing someones estate after death

http://www.bristol.gov.uk/LocalTaxSingleAdultDiscount http://www.bristol.gov.uk/LocalTaxSingleAdultDiscount http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Death/index.htm http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Death/index.htm http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Death/WhatToDoAfterADeath/DG_10029808 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Death/WhatToDoAfterADeath/DG_10029808 Executor General.mmap Executor General.mmap http://www.lloydstsb.com/bereavement/here_for_you.asp http://www.lloydstsb.com/bereavement/here_for_you.asp http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_188740 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_188740 http://www.bristol.gov.uk/node/6846 http://www.bristol.gov.uk/node/6846 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Death/WhatToDoAfterADeath/DG_10029817 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Death/WhatToDoAfterADeath/DG_10029817 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Death/Preparation/DG_10029716 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Death/Preparation/DG_10029716 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/motoring/driverlicensing/dg_4022493 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/motoring/driverlicensing/dg_4022493 http://www.santander.co.uk/csgs/Satellite?appID=abbey.internet.Abbeycom&cid=1210611765034&leng=en_GB&pagename=Abbeycom/Page/WC_ACOM_TemplateA1 http://www.santander.co.uk/csgs/Satellite?appID=abbey.internet.Abbeycom&cid=1210611765034&leng=en_GB&pagename=Abbeycom/Page/WC_ACOM_TemplateA1 http://hmctsformfinder.direct.gov.uk/courtfinder/forms/pa2-eng.pdf http://hmctsformfinder.direct.gov.uk/courtfinder/forms/pa2-eng.pdf http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/technical-guidance/sb16-a-guide-to-the-social/funeral-payments/ http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/technical-guidance/sb16-a-guide-to-the-social/funeral-payments/ http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Bereaved/DG_10018660 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Bereaved/DG_10018660 Funeral.mmap Funeral.mmap http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/inheritancetax/how-to-value-estate/debts.htm http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/inheritancetax/how-to-value-estate/debts.htm

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My basic tips for using MindManager to manage information

Thursday, June 21st, 2012

Assuming you are using the PC version:

  • Select a topic > right click > Send to new map: to break large maps in to smaller linked ones.
  • Drag and drop maps (and other files) from File Explorer to existing maps.
  • Drag and drop hyperlinks from your browser.
  • For instance a map containing your favourite web pages can be linked to from many other maps.
  • Use Linked Maps or Multimap view to print, export and combine theses linked maps.

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Using Dropbox to share structured knowledge with MindManager

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

Do you have a requirement which goes something like this:

  1. You want to share information with a closed group of people
  2. It’s less than 2GB of files but this could grow with the size of the group
  3. They need to be able to access it on and off line.
  4. Anyone in the group can add files to the store but you will look after the indexing
  5. Only some members of the group use MindManager

Had you thought about using Dropbox with MindManager’s web export?

Here is how:

  1. Get a Dropbox account, create and share two folders with the group e.g.
    1. Web site
    2. New files
      You will have to invite them and all that malarky but this will give you extra storage.  The folders will appear in your My Documents folder in the  My Dropbox folder.
  2. Create a map which links to all the files you want to share with the group.
    Do not use multiple hyperlinks, they are not supported in the web exports.
  3. Export the map using the web export. If all the text and explanations is in topic text you just need the Clickable Image export, if you add topic notes use the Static Outline or Dynamic Templates or Simple Outline or One Page.
  4. Export the map to the Dropbox folder web site. I suggest changing the name of the Root export filename in Customise > Advanced settings to something relevant.  A mini web site will be created with a folder called LinkedDocuments with all the linked files in it. Your original documents will remain where they where, these are copies by default. Other folders are created for the more sophisticated web exports to support the styles, images etc. used in the export.
  5. Give the group the link to the root export file and the web site will appear.
    e.g test-site 
    I have saved the web export to the Public Folder in Dropbox.
  6. Ask the group to add new files to the New files folder.
  7. Link the new files to the map and re-export.
Note: You cannot share local files via the PDF Viewer and Flash export. If you just have hyperlinks to web pages on the map then you could also store them in Dropbox and save updated versions.

Obviously there are many other file management systems out there but this may be enough for your needs.  Similar processes may be possible with Microsoft’s Skydrive and Google sites.

Could you use this?

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Keeping track of your Potholes!

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

It could be tracking anything you are interested in but on Sunday I came across the now fixed hole in a cycle path. Fortunately I approached it from the side the camera is facing in the light.  If you descended in the dark from behind the camera at 25 mph, you could have had a life threatening moment.

On the mapI have a link to Hampshire County Council’s problem reporting site, and the track links for each problem. Plus the photo and a link to the Google map location.  I used task info to store the date of submission and fixing.

You could use a simlar process for snag lists when commissioning equipment or factory inspections or event health and safety tours etc.

 

My Hampshire Potholes
http://maps.hants.gov.uk/roadproblems/StatusChecker.aspx?trackno=111000922949 http://maps.hants.gov.uk/roadproblems/StatusChecker.aspx?trackno=111000922949 http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=206725967560823522050.00046fc3eb02bad73dca0&msa=0&ll=51.073635,-1.289456&spn=0.004779,0.011362 http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=206725967560823522050.00046fc3eb02bad73dca0&msa=0&ll=51.073635,-1.289456&spn=0.004779,0.011362 http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=206725967560823522050.00046fc3eb02bad73dca0&msa=0&ll=51.084166,-1.304348&spn=0.002389,0.005681 http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=206725967560823522050.00046fc3eb02bad73dca0&msa=0&ll=51.084166,-1.304348&spn=0.002389,0.005681 http://maps.hants.gov.uk/roadproblems/StatusChecker.aspx?trackno=111000921925 http://maps.hants.gov.uk/roadproblems/StatusChecker.aspx?trackno=111000921925 http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=206725967560823522050.00046fc3eb02bad73dca0&msa=0&ll=51.0822,-1.18121&spn=0.000597,0.00142 http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=206725967560823522050.00046fc3eb02bad73dca0&msa=0&ll=51.0822,-1.18121&spn=0.000597,0.00142 http://www3.hants.gov.uk/RoadProblems http://www3.hants.gov.uk/RoadProblems http://maps.hants.gov.uk/roadproblems/StatusChecker.aspx?trackno=111000922950&trackno=111000922950 http://maps.hants.gov.uk/roadproblems/StatusChecker.aspx?trackno=111000922950&trackno=111000922950

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Mapping a Skype conversation

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Have you ever joined a Skype group chat after the other participants have exchanged several messages? Scrolling down the conversation you get some sense of what has been going on. But the questions and answers are sometimes interleaved and there are multiple threads going on between the participants. Here is my solution for unravelling the spaghetti.

MindManager map of Skype ConversationSelect all the messages and paste them on to a MindManager map. You will get a topic for each message with the Skype ID (writer) and date/time included. Pick a principal statement or question and then drag the responses to the principal creating subtopics. Often responses can be found several unrelated messages later.  Additional marking up you could do:

  1. If topics relate to each other, you can add relationships or colour code the topics.
  2. Search for Skype ids and then mark the topics with an avatar.
  3. Search for keywords and highlight the topics.
  4. Add Call Outs with your private thoughts

This is the map (without the text) from two other peoples conversation that I was not able to participate in yesterday. It gives you some idea of how MindManager can be used to convert a complex stream of messages in to coherent digestable groups!

Click the map to see a larger image.

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WikiSummarizer – Rapid information overview

Friday, April 1st, 2011

MindManagerContext Discovery Inc have released a web based tool called WikiSummarizer for quickly summarising (English spelling) the content of a Wikipedia entry based on a key word or phrase.  The result is a page full of classified paragraphs which you can export to a Rich Text Document or a MindManager file.  If you have your browser set up appropriately, the MindManager file will open immediately in MindManager (this works for me in Google Chrome).

So what can I (you) do with this?  For example it is time I wrote a page describing MindManager on a certain web site.  Enter MindManager into WikiSummarizer, after 5 seconds the web page is returned and I Export To MindManager.

I like to see the scale of a map before I start manipulating it,  the first thing I do is open the map to show all levels (Select the Central Topic and Shift+Alt+.).  See above.

MindManager Hide the topics
I don’t need all that much inspiration!  I selected all the topics I don’t need and hid them (Use the Filter Funnel tool at the bottom of the MindManager for Windows screen).  There is quite a bit of repetition and the first map reduces to a digestable set of topics.
MindManager Article
I flipped these topics to the left and added the main headings for my article to the right. I then started to develop the paragraphs under these headings and realised I needed some sub-headings and so on.

Before I get carried away I am going to produce a map which says:

  • Who is the article/web page for?
  • Why am I writing it? Why are they reading it?
  • When? (Soon)
  • Where? (I know)
  • What? (See above)
  • How? (See above)

I hope that has given you one use case for WikiSummarizer. What do you think the others are?

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