From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Alex Bochannek Subject: Re: [Orgmode] Org-mode usage and concept mapping. Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2006 20:51:09 -0700 Message-ID: References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Return-path: Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1GMcpM-0001v3-RS for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 23:51:20 -0400 Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1GMcpK-0001s7-6b for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 23:51:20 -0400 Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1GMcpK-0001rw-2e for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 23:51:18 -0400 Received: from [207.17.137.57] (helo=colo-dns-ext1.juniper.net) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:DHE_RSA_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA:24) (Exim 4.52) id 1GMcqV-0004VV-9X for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 23:52:31 -0400 Received: from merlot.juniper.net (merlot.juniper.net [172.17.27.10]) by colo-dns-ext1.juniper.net (8.11.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id k8B3pFX92192 for ; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 20:51:16 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from alexb@juniper.net) Received: from ALEXB-LT ([172.23.1.42]) by merlot.juniper.net (8.11.3/8.11.3) with ESMTP id k8B3p9g30682 for ; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 20:51:10 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from alexb@juniper.net) In-Reply-To: (David O'Toole's message of "Sun, 10 Sep 2006 08:57:28 -0400") List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: emacs-orgmode@gnu.org David, Christopher, Thanks for the responses. Comments below. "David O'Toole" writes: > I use the outlining heavily to outline and structure documents and > projects with many parts. Few of my TODOs are first-level headings. > headings... they're always two or three or four stars in. But I have a > friend who makes big files with TODOs all as first-level > headings. There are many ways to use org-mode :-) It's interesting to hear that you are using it that way. Christopher's example below seems to be along the same line although he appears to break early from Org-mode and move to Muse (assuming I interpreted this correctly) in the document creation. Incidentally, I am using Org-mode almost exclusively for taking notes these days. "David O'Toole" writes: > I also use Carsten's outline-magic.el (which feels like org-mode with > its visibility cycling) to organize and get overviews of source code > in my emacs lisp projects. I have not tried outline-magic.el, but it sounds interesting. Christopher Kuettner writes: >>Carsten tries really hard to keep Org-mode focused > > This is important, IMHO one of org-mode strenghts is it's lightweightness. Concurred! Christopher Kuettner writes: >> What is the predominant use case for Org-mode by people on this list? > > 1. knowledge-gathering for writing/research-projects via > one-file-wikis (cool because I don't have to give PageTitles and other > Meta-crap; convenient because I can create * TODO research bookmarks) This is interesting. I would suggest that this is similar to the example that was mentioned on the list of using Org-mode to aid in code comprehension when following Elisp code. Really no different if you read through some code and take notes or if you keep track of URLs, for example. Christopher Kuettner writes: > 2. project tracking for some kind of projects > > 3. tables (org-mode frees me from having to use a "real" spreadsheet; > what a relief) Example 2 is what I think a lot (most?) people use Org-mode for. The tables I totally forgot about when I wrote my last email, but I have used them as well when trying to document some problems. I always wondered, tables seem like a bit of feature creep to me. They are very useful and I am sure Carsten implemented them for a reason, but with SES and Calc, I wonder if they aren't acquiring too much in terms of spreadsheet functionality. Christopher Kuettner writes: >>very little of traditional outlining, it seems. > > When I am at that stage (writing the first draft of a work), the > emphasizes lies more on the writing/printing/publishing/output. On > Emacs for example Muse-Mode is better suited for that. The strengths > of Org-Mode are more in the beginning of work, when one is collecting > the data and developing structures, concepts and relationships. See above. I hope I didn't misinterpret this and you aren't actually using Muse. On to concept maps. "David O'Toole" writes: > Couldn't the links be modeled with org-mode tags and just make > everything headings? Um, it'd be postfix notation but at least it > could work I think... see below. This could possibly be processed and > exported into a map, or even a diagram for GNU Pic or something. > > --------------------------------------- > Concept1 > Concept2 :link1: > Concept 4 :link2: > Concept3 :link1: > Concept5 :link3: > Concept4 :link3: > --------------------------------------- I thought about this and it seems a bit unnatural and also wouldn't allow you to embed concept outlines into another document that you want to use tags for. I don't remember, is there a way to use org-publish to only export a region? And speaking of feature creep: How about some Graphviz output :-) Christopher Kuettner writes: >> happy with CmapTools >> Is this something that would be an interesting export option for >> Org-mode? > > I can imagine using this as some sort of process-management tool. For > example to illustrate who is doing what in a working team under which > condition. Basically as sort of communications help. I have done this before where I used CmapTools as a brainstorming aid to determine how responsibilities are delineated. That worked out pretty well. I guess what would be neat is to use a textual representation to get the rough structure outlined and then use a concept mapping tool for the elaboration. Combine this with a projector and something like and that could be really productive. Christopher Kuettner writes: >> How would linking words work? They are usually verbs to >> build the propositions and it seems awkward to make those headlines. > > As far as I understand the concept, it seems reasonable to make the > propositions (sub)headlines and to put the linkage-information beneath > the headlines. That might work. It would potentially produce lots of indentation levels, but I think I would like this better than tags. It doesn't quite capture the difference between a verb and a concept, but that may not be a problem in the initial creation phase. Alex.