A mind map combines both the power of a picture with the suggestion of words. You may have seen mind maps, but you may not have known the name for them. Sometimes they look like clusters of bubbles; other times, like elaborate tree structures. Because mind mapping has been connected with business brainstorming, much of the early software for creating the diagrams carried a relatively heavy price tag. However, with the arrival of Web-based applications and open source software, it's now easy to take the practice for a spin without dispersing a cent.
May 06th 2007