Freemind, the open source Java based mind mapping application, makes a great writing planning tool.

We've covered mind-mapping software at OStatic before, and here's another open source option to add to the list. Freeplane is a new mind mapping application forked from FreeMind and already sports some features that the project it's based on doesn't.

The Mind Mapping In Linux course has been designed to be a basic overview of Xmind and how to use it in different scenarios to increase productivity in your projects planning process. Xmind is a free, open source, applications available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.

When planning a project, whether it's an essay or software, there's a tendency to try to capture ideas in a linear fashion, organizing them as you draw them from your mind. The classic example of this is attempting to write an orderly outline as the first step of composing an essay.

With mind mapping software, you can take notes, capture ideas, project planning and so on. Here are 7 free mind mapping softwares.

An outline used to illustrate words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea is called a mind map. Here are some of the best Free and Open Source mind mapping applications that are available for Linux...

"So we have a few great Free Software gaming engines now, like DarkPlaces used in Nexuiz, Cube 2 used in Sauerbraten, Qfusion used in Warsow, soon id Tech 4 which is used in id Software's Quake 4, Doom 3, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars along with many others, and the HPL1 engine used in Frictional Games' "Penumbra: Overture".

del.icio.us is a nifty bookmark service – no doubt about that. However, if the way it displays the bookmarks doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can add a whole new dimension to your bookmark collection by turning it into a mindmap using a clever utility called DeliciousMind.

Mind mapping tools are among the unsung heroes of project management. They're often overlooked or underused because some people mistakenly believe the learning curve is too steep or the features are unnecessary.