IM Index Version 3.0

[Alex Goodall]

I am about to start finalising Version 3.0 of the IM Index Mind Map, based on ideas that have been brewing for many months.

There will be no major changes to the structure (none are needed, I believe), although there will be numerous minor ones.

The reason for making it a major new version (V3.0 instead V2.3) is that I will be introducing IM Index Lite: a reduced-functionality version which will be low enough cost to allow new IMers to purchase it, and so benefit from organized content sooner rather than later. IM Index Lite will be compatible with DAO Installers.

The full version will be called IM Index Pro

Alongside minor structure updates and IM Index Lite, I will be adding the following to the Pro version:

• Support for organizing past content
• Updated content for the Extreme Resource Pack (the XRP will NOT be available with the Lite version)

I am VERY keen to know of any changes/suggestions I should consider for this release - especially anything I can add to make the Pro version more attractive.

As always, current customers will get a free upgrade to Version 3.0

Please reply to this thread as soon as possible.

Thanks

(BTW - if you are not already an affiliate, now might be a good time register and think about being part of the V3 launch - particularly if you have a list with a high proportion of new IMers. Go to http://OxfordAndBoston.com/Affiliates )

[urhk]

Hi Alex,

purchased your version 1 and continue to use version 2 - i think the main problem is the difficulty in filing and finding information after you file it -

I believe a better way to go forward version 3 is to provide a cleaner and less category - and allow customers to work it on their own on different way of filing things.

I believe a separate ebook on teaching people how to categorize different IM stuff instead of having all categories ready whereby people don't know whether a particular product should go into that folder.  this makes a lot of empty folders and confusion on the mm in general.

i suggest just to provide some broad category and let the users to create them on the fly, while minimizing the load of the mm.

my 2 cents
Rollin

[JerryTheTutor]

I'm happy with it, but I suppose some might prefer less complexity.

[Kathy]

I too would prefer something simpler. There are a lot of gray areas with regards to where to place things. I would like to be able to create my own folder names that would suit my own business model. I would also like to see the instruction manual and videos upgraded. I do love the concept of the IM Index but it still confuses me.

It also took me 3 attempts to register for this forum as there were no instructions about passwords. Perhaps a note that the password must be at least 8 characters long and contain upper and lower characters as well as numbers could be useful. Just a suggestion.

Kathy

[Alex Goodall]

Thanks for the responses so far.

Rollin/Kathy

About simplicity.... 
Firstly - the underlying technology means it is not possible for users to add topic to the Map, so the topics have to be fixed for all users. This actually turns out to be an advantage becase it means I can create technology such as DAO Installers which can only exist if everyone uses the same folder structures (for their reference content, at least).

Secondly - simpler structure doesn't necessarily make it easier to find things. Consider this:

A complex structure with many categories can mean that, for content that covers more than one topic, there could be several topics you could file under - so yes, that could cause confusion.
But with a simpler structure with fewer categories, you get the opposite problem: precisely because the categories are broader, the categories themselves will overlap, so again, you are going to get ambiguity about where to file something. Also, with fewer categories, you will have more files under each one, and so it will take longer to search through each folder.

This always has been a tricky problem, and the solution is always a compromise. And the other factor influencing the design is that I want the system to remain useful as people's needs become more advanced: the last thing you want to do is re-organize everything into another system later on!


On the question of better guidance: I will certainly address that, and there will be other ways to help people find content that I'll talk about later.

What would help this discussion is to have specific examples of where people are finding it confusing. If there are just a few specific cases that most people are finding confusing, the best way forward would be to fix those cases rather than try to simplify the "whole structure". (I know where I think there is likely to be some confusion, but I'd like confirmation.)

Kathy - on the issue of passwords for registering on this forum: that is built into the forum system itself: it's not a simple matter (for me, anyway) to change this.

Thanks.

[LGWImIndex]

Alex:

I have to agree with previous posts, I find using the IM Index Mindmap confusing, due to the complexity. 

It's very hard for me to actually locate anything.  As with any database using the IM Index pretty much seems to require that you must know what you're looking for before you can begin to look for it. 

To begin with, you need to have a more intuitive interface.  It should not be required to physically click on each branch to physically open it and drill down manually thru the tree.  It should function more like the Start menu in Windows.  Hover the pointer over a branch, and it should display the nested folders / branches / topics in a 'ghost' or semi transparent mode.  Move the pointer over a nested topic, and the rest should vanish, and lower nested topics along that 'branch' should appear.  A user should be able to 'float' the mouse along and the map should open branches, sub branches, and sub folders etc along a path following the user's pointer movement.  If the user changes his/her mind and moves the pointer back, then sub branches and folders should vanish back to the point where the pointer is.  If the user then goes a different direction, again the Mind Map should do the same, opening branches and views as it follows the pointer.

As the pointer passes over folders, a 'ghost' fly out should appear showing the contents of that folder.  If the pointer passes over other aspects of the mindmap that aspect should be displayed as a partially transparent 'ghost' view.  The 'ghost' view should be a true viewer, allowing the user to read the file, if it's a text, or document file.   If the user moves the pointer to hover over an actual file, or document, and hovers it there, that folder and document should 'resolve' and become solid, so the user could then double click on it, or right click and do some other action.  The entire path from the trunk to that point should solidify, and 'lock in' so the user knows where he/she is.

On another point, adding products etc to the mind map when you don't have a DAO is terribly difficult.  You need an automated dialog that will ask the user questions, and then follow thru and categorize the item properly, according to the answers.  Alternately there should be a query page that the user can fill out like a questionaire.  Put the file and rights info in the "InFolder" and then open the questionaire.  Fill in the answers.  File name, Rights file name, where purchased, web address, etc etc etc and then once complete hit the "GO" Button, and the Engine will pick up the file(s), put them in the right place, update the indexes, update the records, etc, just like the DAO does, so that the info is complete.   

You need to add the capability to add and link comments to files, folders, and programs so that the user can make notes on the spot to define them.  Many times a purchase page will have a complete description of the program that could be captured, or pdf'd, and could then be added to the mind map and linked to the program, so that when a person is trying to determine if a program will do what they need / want, the program can be found, and 'hovering' the pointer over the program would then make the linked 'comment' file to appear, so the pointer could be 'hovered' over that so a viewer could open to display that document for perusal WITHOUT having to double click on it and open the actual application.  When you must actually open the folder, or zip file, or attached document to read it it 'breaks' the activity in the mind map, and a person loses track of where the heck they are.  The map should stay, and the item should appear in 'semi transparent' view mode, so it can be read without leaving the map.

I cannot imagine how you could have thought that anyone would be able to :
A:  Figure out the category    B:  Place the file Properly   C:  Harvest all the required information on purchase and have it ready for adding to the records    and D:  Updating all the Excel Spreadsheet(s) that need to be updated to show all the correct information.   It's such a pain in the ass that I gave up quite awhile back.

Even if you take in the above suggestions and manage to make the map more easily navigatable, you still need to have a good search function, and you need to make it able to use concatenated search terms, and able to search within zip, rar, and all other compressed files.  The present search function is useless for targeting files by subject, or content.  Unless there is an accompanying file with search terms that can be 'seen' a person could search forever, and never find the file they are looking for.  In order for your Mind Map IM INdex to be truly useful you MUST improve the search function.  Additionally the search function should be linked to some topical and subject indexing, so previous searches can be recalled, to cut down on search time.  IF the Search Engine searches thru ABC.zip it should put in an index typical search words that are found in ABC.zip in an index, so the next time a search is run all it needs to do is consult the index, at least to start.  It should also be intelligent enough to SKIP re-searching all files where the index contains the search term so as to speed up the search by only targeting files which have either NOT been searched before, or files which have been searched, but not for that term. 

Finally, you need to add some customizable reporting tools.  It's well and good to be able to 'surf' the map to try and find programs, and data, however it can be cumbersome.   Why not have a report engine that a user can bring up that would access the records based on varying criteria, as desired.   Want to see all programs on Affiliates?  Design a report.  Want to see all info on ClickBank?  Design a report.  While many people are visual by nature, it still helps to make things less confusing if you can 'filter' the data by type, or description, to cut down on the amount of data you must look thru to find the answer.   

[urhk]

I finally know - what you can do with version 3.0

version 1.0 and 2.0 is about a reference folder.

I have been playing around with GTD and thinking where IM index is playing the role in.  It's in the reference folder, whereby does not create the most value for people.

We should be focusing on project - which you've included in your IM but not a major role.

I suggest you may want to play up on Project and streamline the project function. Right now, the project would include all links to ALL project and the index map which make the map itself very very "heavy" which is not recommended.

I think if you could do that, your map will be simpler and more action-focused.

my 2 cents
 

[Alex Goodall]

Hellow LGW

Thanks very much for these detailed recommendations. I appreciate the thought that went into it.

To begin with, you need to have a more intuitive interface.  It should not be required to physically click on each branch to physically open it and drill down manually thru the tree.....

These are all very nice ideas, but unfortunately, I am dependent on the facilities available in the MindManager Viewer. To implement what you suggest would require me re-creating a significant part of a Mind mapping product, and that is clearly out of scope.

On another point, adding products etc to the mind map when you don't have a DAO is terribly difficult.  You need an automated dialog that will ask the user questions, and then follow thru and categorize the item properly, according to the answers....

There will be facilities to make it much easier to organize your files. It won't work via a dialogue/questionnaire, but by the user actually setting tags in a spreadsheet. These utilities are being written as I write this.

There will also be the ability to create do a "stock take" of the files that are in the Reference section: essentially, creating a "download record" spreadsheet of everything you have in the reference part. There will be a similar utility for creating an "audit" of all files in the Operations section.

You need to add the capability to add and link comments to files, folders, and programs so that the user can make notes on the spot to define them.... The map should stay, and the item should appear in 'semi transparent' view mode, so it can be read without leaving the map.

See my comments above about me not being able to change the user interface of the Map.

I cannot imagine how you could have thought that anyone would be able to :
A:  Figure out the category    B:  Place the file Properly   C:  Harvest all the required information on purchase and have it ready for adding to the records    and D:  Updating all the Excel Spreadsheet(s) that need to be updated to show all the correct information.   It's such a pain in the ass that I gave up quite awhile back.

I did expect anyone to create their own download reports for all downloads, but the option is there for people that may want to do it for certain critical files. It's not an all-or-nothing requirement.

Even if you take in the above suggestions and manage to make the map more easily navigatable, you still need to have a good search function, and you need to make it able to use concatenated search terms, and able to search within zip, rar, and all other compressed files.....

There are many excellent desktop search tools available for searching through folders. There seems little point in re-creating such functionality.

Finally, you need to add some customizable reporting tools.  It's well and good to be able to 'surf' the map to try and find programs, and data, however it can be cumbersome.   Why not have a report engine that a user can bring up that would access the records based on varying criteria, as desired.   Want to see all programs on Affiliates?  Design a report.  Want to see all info on ClickBank?  Design a report.  While many people are visual by nature, it still helps to make things less confusing if you can 'filter' the data by type, or description, to cut down on the amount of data you must look thru to find the answer. 

Such a report engine would do little more than just display the contents of specific folders. Files tagged with Clickbank will be in the Clickbank folder.

Regards

Alex

[Alex Goodall]

I finally know - what you can do with version 3.0

version 1.0 and 2.0 is about a reference folder.

I have been playing around with GTD and thinking where IM index is playing the role in.  It's in the reference folder, whereby does not create the most value for people.

We should be focusing on project - which you've included in your IM but not a major role.

I suggest you may want to play up on Project and streamline the project function. Right now, the project would include all links to ALL project and the index map which make the map itself very very "heavy" which is not recommended.

I think if you could do that, your map will be simpler and more action-focused.

my 2 cents
 

I'm not sure what it is you are suggesting.

Are you suggesting that there should be a Map which includes ONLY the Operations (Project) maps - without the Reference topics?

What benefit would that provide? That was my very first approach, but I could see no benefit in NOT including the Reference topics: if you don't use them, they don't get in the way, do they?

I am working on improving the layout of the Projects area, and also improving/expanding on the "Core Project Activities" section in the Quick Links (which integrates both the Reference and Operations sides).

Personally, I think the Operations part of the map is actually the most valuable for people who have projects up and running, and I am keen to hear of any specific recommendations for how this could be improved.

Apart from changing the layout somewhat, I have also

• added additional topics and folders for Social Networking activities,
• added a few other topics/folders, and
• tidied up the Notes throughout.

Any other suggestions?

Alex