For years I used the FreeMind mind-mapping app, but wanted to move all of it to a server that I could use across devices once smart phones came along, and moved to flat text files in Dropbox that I can edit with any text editor. The other thing with FreeMind is that the UX for navigating mind-maps can get unwieldy when they get big. (maybe there are other apps that implement this UX better, not sure). I have also tried using wiki software ( like https://tiddlywiki.com/ ) and other tools that just didn't work as good for me as flat text files at the end of the day. I don't feel this is a solved problem and I would explore other solutions. I think something that has a timeline view and very good search tools as well as integrates with media libraries in the same search and timeline (like my lightroom and my phone's google photos libraries) would be a really cool way to see thoughts and images in the context of time going back to the day you wrote something, etc.
> The other thing with FreeMind is that the UX for navigating mind-maps can get unwieldy when they get big.
In what way? I have some pretty enormous ones and they seem fine so far. I'd like it if FreeMind were more actively maintained, but at least it still works basically fine on the latest version of Java.
I just remember expanding and collapsing things a lot to keep what I wanted in view. Clicking and scrolling -- perhaps I never got proficient in the keybindings so that could explain it.
Spacebar expands and collapses nodes. I think part of the problem is just that the default settings are bad. Changing these couple things makes FreeMind 10x better:
Preferences -> appearance
1. Check "edges start from 1 point at root node"
2. Uncheck "enter confirms by default"
