Happy Holidays from DorkoTech

Just want to take a moment to wish every one a happy and joyful holiday season! This is my last Christmas vacation (unless I decide to go for that MBA) and I am taking the time to try to catch up from last semester's classes while letting my body slowly heal from surgery. At first I was depressed about how my current medical problems were going to ruin my holiday break but I then started to realize that this is probably the best possible time for me to make my recovery. I currently have lots of love and support as my family collaborate at the Dorko household and their strength will diffuse and help me in my time of need. I also have friends making their way home to celebrate Christmas with their family so their additional support only fuels my desire for a quick recovery. I also have great food, cookies (who doesn't love Christmas cookies) and plenty of time to relax in bed without the constant burden of school. I do have classes from last semester to worry about but in reality that is nothing compared the full load I am taking on next semester.

I also have the New Year to look forward to and have decided to make 2007 my year! 2007 will be my breakout year and when I look back to see where I turned the corner in my successful career I am confident I will be able to trace my routes back to 2007. In 2007 I will graduate, find a great job, move and start my new and exciting life, overcome major thoracic surgeries and demonstrate to everyone the true potential I always knew I had but never really illustrated.

So if you too find yourself a little down this holiday season don't worry. Start to think positively and make an honest effort to enjoy yourself, spend time with your family and set some major goals for 2007! This is a wonderful time of year so take some time to really let it all soak in!

posted by Jason Dorko at 1:03 AM 0 comments links to this post   

MindJet MindManager Product Update

There is now a product update for MindJet MindManager that should update it to build 6.2.399. This update (SP2a) seems to address many of the issues between MindManager and the upcoming releases of Microsoft's new OS, Vista, and the new Office 2007 as well. You can read about all the other details in the release notes.

Mindjet MindManager Pro 6
Release SP2a	build 6.2.399	50.1 MB	Download
Mindjet MindManager Basic 6
Release SP2a	build 6.2.399	38.9 MB	Download

Labels: MindManager

posted by Jason Dorko at 5:14 PM 0 comments links to this post   

Decorating My Map Central

While on the MindJet Blog I noticed I was tagged, but a post about looking at the same map style all the time also captured my interest. This is because I make a point of placing some extra time on the design of my more important maps. For example, I look at my Map Central map every single day and often many times a day so to make the experience more pleasing I tend to inject some fun and color into it. This promotes healthy emotions that subconsciously allow me to enjoy the overall review process. Since I like to look at the map ,I tend to look at it more often, which allows me to review my key activities and stay on task throughout the day.

I also find adding images to my maps whenever I can stimulates a stronger personal connection with the map that allows me to gain more value from it. As a visual leaner these images enhance the overall visual representation of the information and makes my maps even more powerful.

So what does my Map Central look like now? Well it's a Christmas that has been present since Thanksgiving and will probably remain until the new year. When 2007 hits I'll be busy designing something new that will be sure to entertain my eyes every time I open MindManager.

Check out a picture of my map central below!

Labels: mind mapping, MindManager

posted by Jason Dorko at 8:13 AM 0 comments links to this post   

Tagged

Visiting the Mindjet blog today I discovered that it seems Hobart Swan has tagged me in a game of blog and share where it seems I must now disclose 5 things people don't know about me. So let's get started.

1. When I am not busy or tied down to a computer I am incredibly active and enjoy working out 3 days a week and tearing up the racquetball courts on a regular basis (as you may be able to tell from my Christmas List)
   
2. I have been managing my own myspace/blog/website for over 4 years. It all started with a pretentious domain of drdorko.com ( I wanted to be an Orthodontist for over 4 years) where I plastered pictures of my turtles and friends on a blue background designed in frontpage.
3. I have a huge entrepreneur spirit and love dabbling around in the stock market.
4. I am notorious for always dressing to "nice" for a straight guy and actually enjoy shopping for new business attire.
5. When I was little no one ever made fun of my last name (Dorko) ever since I responded to that first attempt with the "wow you must have stayed up all night thinking of that one" come back. (Yeah my ADD was still under wraps at this time and my impulsive comments often managed to leak out.)
   

So I now must pass on the burden of personal sharing. Since this meme has been around for quite some time let me know if you have already fullfilled your personal revealing duties.

I Tag Warner Crocker, Tracy Hooten (you know you need a break from studying), Kyle McFarlin, and Sid from NoteTalkers (trying to bring him out of hiding)

posted by Jason Dorko at 10:25 PM 1 comments links to this post   

Dorko's Christmas List: MindManager Style

Every year I try to produce my Christmas list in a digital format that is easily accessible to everyone Usually this is just a long word document that I upload to my website. I add pictures and sometimes links but it is always quite lengthy and difficult to navigate.

This year though I went a different route and made my Christmas list as a MindManager map. I then again uploaded it to my site early on and e-mailed the link to my family. I told them I would add stuff at will and that they can just check it online to see if it had changed.

Most family members thought it was really cool and liked the ability to navigate by category and they really appreciated the direct links to the websites which allowed for some quick online shopping. I also sometimes used call outs as price tags to indicate the price range of a product in addition to appropriate sizes. Again they liked how easy it was to see all the information and I got a lot questions about the program I used in general.

I've shared my MindManager use with many students and friends but never have I really showed it off to the family. This was my first approach at doing so and I was quite taken by their first impressions.

You can see my list here if you are interested. (Note it is only viewable in Internet Explorer)

I should also note that MindJet has put together a nice document about using MindManager to sort through all your holiday shopping as well. It's very similar to how I constructed my personal Christmas List but is a good resource for those looking to add a little MindManager to their holiday season!

Supercharge Your Holiday Shopping with MindManager 6

MindManager Pro/Basic 6 Users

MindManager 6 Mac Users

Enjoy!

Labels: MindManager

posted by Jason Dorko at 2:10 PM 0 comments links to this post   

Best MindManager Blogger Blottie Goes To...

During my time at the hospital I have gotten quite behind in all news of the Tablet PC, technology and mind mapping world. Even my investments have done quite a bit of rocketing the last week and I am just now starting to catch up with all that has transpired.

Apparently one of the very cool things I missed out was reviewing Warner's Second Annual Life On The Wicked Stage Ink Blot Awards. He always dishes out some very amusing awards and this year we were treated to a list that was full of awards dedicated to individuals devoted to sharing their passion of the Tablet PC and technology world.

I was incredibly excited to see that DorkoTech was able to snatch up two blotties this year! These awards included Best MindManager Blogger and Wackiest Name for a Tablet PC Blog. Both awards mean a lot to mean and I greatly appreciate Warner for presenting these to me and would also like to offer my congrats to all the other winners.

Thanks again for the great list!

Labels: MindManager

posted by Jason Dorko at 1:21 PM 1 comments links to this post   

Down Again but Never Out!

There are always those moments in life where you just can't believe something is happening. Those were the thoughts at least running through my head a week ago. Last Sunday, or I guess two Sundays ago now, I was sitting in my room working on a class project. It had been just two weeks since my last visit for my spontaneous pneumorthorax. I was a week behind in my classes but was starting to really feel good again and knew I would find a way to catch up. I knew the upcoming week was going to be rough with classes ending and I would have to study extremely hard to try to catch up and be ready for finals but hey who ever said life was easy.

And then it happened...my heart started to race and I felt that oh to familiar give of me chest. I quickly made sure I wasn't dreaming and that this was actually happening again! I couldn't believe that after being released from the hospital just over a week ago that I again could suffer from another incident so soon. However despite everything I wanted to believe, reality soon set in and I was off to the hospital again.

A chest X-ray revealed another pneumothorax and I once again found myself sitting on the table having a small tube inserted into my chest cavity. Talking it over with doctors it was quickly decided that after experiencing another incident so soon preventative surgery should be done in order to help prevent this kind of thing from happening again.

Two days later I underwent video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) with blebectomy and pleurodesis. I could go over what all this means but I don't want to bore you all with the details.

It's now been over a week and I am finally home again. This time because of the more invasive surgery recovery is quite slow. There is reoccurring pain that disrupts my sleep, it's hard to move around and basically life will be different these next few weeks. Recovery is said to take about 6 weeks and I may not feel 100% for several months.

However all these hospital visits have given me much time to think and reflect about my own life and what I would like to do with it. I made a few promises to myself during those days in the hospital and some changes may be reflected in this blog so stay tuned.

My recovery is slow, I am making efforts with the University now to try to get incompletes for my classes until I find a way to make up all the work and now final exams I missed while in the hospital. I once again thank everyone that visited especially my parents, who have been amazing through this whole process. I enjoyed the cards and best wishes and I look forward to getting better.

posted by Jason Dorko at 4:22 PM 0 comments links to this post   

MindJet Asks How You Like Your Images

Personally I prefer my images to be of high quality snapshots of gorgeous women or flashy gadgets (yes as a DORKo both things are appealing) Oh wait that wasn't the question was it...

Actually MindJet is trying to get a feel from MindManager users on how they would like to work with images within MindManager itself. Here are the two scenarios for consideration:

Scenario 1: Copying resized images
Let’s say you paste a bitmap image
into a topic, and then you resize that image to make it fit better in your map.
Now let’s say you select that image (by selecting the topic, and then clicking
the image to select it within the topic), and choose "Copy".

Scenario 2: Copying images from a zoomed map
Let’s say you paste a bitmap image into a
topic, and then you zoom the map to something other than 100%. Now let’s say you
select that image (by selecting the topic, and then clicking the image to select
it within the topic), and choose "Copy".
In both scenarios, MindManager 6
copies the image to the clipboard at the size that it appears onscreen. There is
a proposal to change this behavior such that MindManager would place a full-size
copy of the original image into the clipboard, in both scenarios.
Which
option do you like better, and why?

Dorko's Thoughts:

Personally I prefer images to be full size, as I like confidence in knowing that no lose of quality occurs. Although this answers the simple question at hand though I would also like to recommend to MindJet that they investigate other possible conditions that exist with the use of images in MindManager.

As I work with MindManager and talk to other users I discover a common theme when the topic of images arrises. Together our conclusions reveal that quite frankly, MindManager seems to fall asleep at the wheel when it comes to the challenge of dealing with images. In this respect I compare MindManager to a super computer hooked up to an old 640 x480 CRT VGA monitor. No mater how great at handling the most complex of tasks it can't accurately display the information in an acceptable fashion, it stifles the performance aspect and limits the overvall functionality.

Case in point: I was making a presentation and really wanted to demonstrate the power of MindManager to a group of students. I had inserted an image full of text and detailed orientated apsects from a physiology book and although I knew it didn't look that great and was difficult to read I execused it was a minor detail in the overall shceme of things. When making the presentation though with a projector, MindManager's failure to display the image in high quality left many students asking what the text in the image said. It disrupted the overall presentation (although I did learn never that every detial does is importatn) and left me quite embarassed. Need less to say when asking what they liked and disliked about the presentation that little stumble where they could not need read the image was what remained most clear in their minds after the presentation.

I also know this to be specifially a MindManager problem as when inserting the same image into OneNote, Word, or almost any other program, the image is displayed correctly. To compensate for this I often link to the image now and have it open up in an entirely different program but not being able to insert high quality "readable" pictures into MindManager is something I feel MindJet needs tp look at a bit more.

Also when it comes to dealing with images in general I wish there were more options that permit the ability to edit them within MindManager. Since MindManager is such a great tool for visual learners I enjoy using it to organize my notes. Also as a visual learner though I like drawing on or around images. It allows me to personally link what is in the picture with what is being proccessed inside my brain. OneNote is quite effecitve at this task.

I am often recquired to make a choice between OneNote and MindManager and latey I find the the ability to draw and mark up pictures a more effective means of enhancing the overall leraning process. It's a sacrafice I never enjoy making. I do sometimes mark up the picture in journal and then link to it from MindManager but I also find that the more programs I spread my notes in the less orgainzed I become.

Wrapping things up, I like that MindJet is asking the community for their opinion on such issues but I do wish they would take a look at what I think (in my personal opinion of course) are bigger issues. I don't know how many users actually copy and paste images within MindManager anyways. I do however know a lot of users that would like to drag and drop or copy and paste images from other locations and have their images retained in high detail. I know I compare OneNote and MindManager quite often and they are two very different programs but I do feel there are certain operations that both should be able to perform equally as well. Copying and pasting pictures is just one.

Labels: mind mapping, MindManager

posted by Jason Dorko at 12:17 PM 1 comments links to this post   

Happy Birthday!

This time of year everyone seems to be rushing around forging for that oh so wanted gift or must have gadget. Christmas lights stand proud pinned to roof tops and a jolly old fat man seems to make even this 22 year old feel like a kid again. But let us not forget that just because the holiday season is upon us doesn't mean we can forget about all those that share their brithdays' with this seasonal time of year. With a birthday on January 6th I often fall victim to the ohh I can't believe it's your birthday speeches and the "I must have just got caught up with the holidays" excuses. So don't forget about all your friends and family that also have birthdays this time of year!

All joking aside Happy Birthday Student Tablet PC and I wish you MANY MANY more!

Also if I am correct Warner Crocker from GottaBeMobile.com is celebrating the birthday of his blog in a few days so I share my best wishes with him as well!

Anyone I miss let me know because I know what's it like when people forget your birthday this busy time of year!

Note: DorkoTech (at least the DorkoTech blog) is too celebrating a birthday in about a month! Of course DorkoTech has been around since early November 2005 but it didn't get much traffic until after the blog format was established. I was able to share some goodies for the 6 month anniversary so hopefully I can find something for the big 01!

posted by Jason Dorko at 10:36 AM 0 comments links to this post