[sdiy] Cmaps: Interesting new tool

[Glen]

At 05:26 AM 6/12/2005, nN AAt     e     e wrote:

>etc... like train of thought or fluid recording of facts... these types of
>charts/graphs make writing or breaking down info for things such as essays
>or entries on wikipedia much easier.

Are they meant to be read by humans or machines?

I take a look at those charts, and I see a jumbled mess of extremely brief 
statements, tenuously linked together in an arbitrary manner. This doesn't 
exactly help me organize my thoughts.  :)

It reminds me of diagraming sentences in English class. Since I already 
understood English, and I knew how to compose and read English sentences, 
those darn diagrams just got in the way and slowed things down. It was just 
"busy work" handed out by teachers with nothing useful to teach the 
students. I get a very strange feeling that this system was developed by a 
former English teacher who took their sentence diagrams far too seriously, 
and applied the concept to databases.  :)

I admit, it's entirely possible that I just don't understand the usefulness 
of these Cmaps. I'm willing to be educated...


take care,
Glen