The brain - mapping software

[Alex Hough]

Does anyone use the Brain? http://www.thebrain.com/

ScIO member Ian Kendrick recommended it to me a while back. I wondered if anyone else used it?

[Sally Bean]

Hi Alex, Are you still interested in this question? I've just started experimenting with the Brain as a sort of personal information manager - relating documents, websites and random thoughts to topics of interest and projects.

I had been using mindmanager for this sort of thing, but found the tree structure and size of the screen limiting. On the other hand the limitlessness of the Brain may also prove problematic as my knowledgebase grows!

[Alex Hough]

Hi Sally,

I am still interested in the question, but I have stopped using the Brain. I keep giving it a go when a new release comes out.

The Brain has undergone some changes: I really liked the "custom view" - this enabled you you drag thoughts around and "pin" the structure in a particular configuration: this feature has been removed. I have also switched to Mac and the Mac version is lacking some of the functionality - searching being the most important omission. Integration with the mac calendar and mail is not possible either.

I sense a steady stream of niggles from Brain users which focus on the way the project is run and the business model they use: it is counter to current trends to allow users to modify and add to the project and to more focus on browser based web applications. The whole project just seems to be a little behind the curve culturally.

Like many people, I spend a lot of time in my browser (Firefox) and use some of the many addons that are available: Delicious for bookmarking, Zotero for downloading metadata about books. I find something like the Brain not compatable with the rest of the tools I use.

I now use TiddlyWiki [1]to do the same things that I did using the Brain. There is some interest from ex-Brain users wishing to combine the brain visualisation with a wiki structure, but it is not as smooth as the Brain version (yet)
best wishes
Alex
[1] http://tiddlywiki.com

(The sad fact is that I am besotted with TiddlyWiki)