Aspies For Freedom

This thing is not an online mind map, but maybe relevant still:

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/ind.../Main_Page

I don't know of any online service that let you build a mind map like in that program that others might view. Google Docs and Google Notebooks might be good enough sometimes.

I had this idea of an online mind map viewable by everyone that should make it more possible for avarage Joes to get a more detailed idea of autism controversies like the MMR controversies and chelation, without necessarily having much knowledge about the related subjects.

I think the mind map should have a set architecture. A node in the mind map could be a question, proposal, information, person or organization.

A question could be "What causes autism?" or "Can chelation treat autism?". What follows a question would often be proposals, which could be suggestions for answers of the questions.

Proposals could be "Genetics cause a different neurological wiring in the brain that result in autism" or "Genetics predisposition to MMR vaccine aggrevated mitochondrial reaction cause autism".

A proposal might be expanded to several proposals because if one claim is true, several others might have to be aswell. Like "Undigested casein cause autism" also propose that all those who are not able to digest casein are autistic - just tried making an example, not sure how much ignorance I just showed off.

Information is the references of proposals that might support or discredit a claim. Information can be approved, rejected etc. by persons, groups and organizations.

To know that information have been approved by trustworthy people is the way to ensure its quality. Persons, groups and organizations also leave comments explaining why they relate to this information like they do. They should also be able to leave comments on other nodes aswell.

"Bill Baggins of the CDC approves the validity of this information"

Bill Baggins (fictional character) would have to be given a password to the mind map so that it is ensured that is really him who have left his stand on the issue, I guess the site would need alot of security if it was to function like this.



Anyone got an idea of what my idea was all about?

Would be cool if I inspired someone. I don't have clear idea of it, so I'm definitely not dictating how an online mind map covering autism controversies should be.

Anyone?

At least my previous idea got some attention.

(Neurod and Biomed United)

I'm not sure I fully understand what you are proposing, but as a visual learner, I very much like the concept. It sounds potentially useful and very informative. Maybe there's a way to give it a trial run?

I have used other mind-mapping type programs in the past (none were editable over the 'net). I found them difficult to work with. (Just me, as I find it's difficult to take something that's in my head and make a visual representation of it.) Once done, however, I find Mind Maps very useful.

I have downloaded the FreeMind package from SourceForge and will give it a whirl. The screen shots look impressive, already better than other tools I have used.

Anyway, I can't say anything about practical implementation, though it sounds like a potentially useful idea.

Thanks for giving it attention.

*tries to visualize how a mind map could be adjusted to take into account the idea of "autisms"*