Presently I’m quite enamored with the Insight Maker http://www.insightmaker.com/ modeling and simulation environment, not because of what it is though more because of what I believe it has the potential to enable. One can learn a lot from studying the models of others and there are tons of people creating models. While this is the case the potential for learning from others is limited because the rate of sharing is really depressing and one needs to have half a dozen different software packages. So here’s what I like about Insight Maker.
- It’s FREE. All one has to do is go there and create an account
- No software install required. If you have a web browser you can create an insight
- Every insight created is visible to everyone whether they have an account or not
- You can send a URL to others to access an insight in Insight Maker
- If you have an an account you can exercise an insight
- You can post comments to models created by others
- If you find an insight you’d like to tinker with you can make a duplicate which becomes yours and editable
- You can provide others with access to actually edit your insights if appropriate
- You can embed an insight in a web page and others can actually execute it from the web page.
- I am so taken with Insight Maker that I actually created a Free Modeling & Simulation/Systems Thinking Learning program around it
- If you run out of capability in Insight Maker you can download the insight and continue in Simgua
- If this isn’t enough testing is currently ongoing for concurrent editing where several people can work on a model at the same time and the software updates the insight on all the computers right after they’re made. Actually a bit spooky when you experience it.
- Because supporting a FREE product is such a challenge a community support model has been implemented using Get Satisfaction http://getsatisfaction.com/ which enables members of the user community to support each other as well as report problems and provide enhancement ideas.
While it may actually be a bit too much to be initially believed, after working with Insight Maker for the past six months I know it’s very real.
So as you think about it I’d be very interested in your thoughts as to what you think Insight Maker might be in a position to enable?
P.S. No I don’t work for the company. I’m just a great fan.
You may also find the Systems Thinking World discussion on LinkedIn of some interest: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2639211
As I have continued to ponder the meaning if Systems Thinking over the years in conjunction with reading and many conversations it would seem that the understanding has evolved, thankfully. There was a time when I thought Systems Thinking was just a not very grown up version of System Dynamics though I have come to understand it is really far more encompassing. While the meaning continues to evolve my foundational belief remains solid. Systems Thinking will enable you to better understand the world around you and enable you to have more control over your life than any other subject you may undertake to study. For situations that concern you Systems Thinking will enable you to create approaches for dealing with these situations that are highly likely to produce the desired results while minimizing unexpected consequences. Continue …
For many people there was a specific Aha! moment were there was a realization that Systems Thinking was a meaningful perspective. The members of the Systems Thinking World Discussion Group on LinkedIn have been sharing their Aha! Moments for quite some time now and many have found them most meaningful. Recently these Aha! Moments have been collected at Systems Thinking Aha Moments on SystemsWiki.org. If you’d like to share your Aha! Moment with the group please join us in the Systems Thinking World Discussion Group and provide your personal Systems Thinking Aha! Moment.
I’ve recently developed a free introductory learning program for modeling and simulation using Insight Maker. The learning program is at: http://sn.im/v3abr
One of the unique features of Insight Maker is that it allows multiple individuals to work online on the development of the same model. And what I don’t have a clue about at the moment is how a group would go about managing a collaborative model development in this environment.
So what I’m really looking for is several individuals who are willing to wade in the deep water and work with me to collaboratively create a model in this environment and develop a set of guidelines for managing the effort along the way. Yes, I want to build the boat as we sail across the Atlantic. Should be loads of fun.
If you are REALLY willing to participate then be froggy and jump in here! And if you have an idea for a situation to model that would be even better. My thought is that it might be better to work on a Causal Loop Diagram first and if we survive that endeavor then we could do an actual Simulation model for something.
Discussion for this undertaking is on Systems Thinking World at: http://sn.im/vq9pb
As we learn we develop patterns and new learning either extends those patterns or creates new patterns because it’s the pattern that connects.
Insight Maker is a online environment for the development and extension of patterns, or models if you prefer, all though your web-browser. And from these patterns insights are expected, likely, or hoped, to arise. It is designed to encourage the collaborative development of models and aid the dissemination of models and results. Insight Maker is an open-source web-application managed by a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation.
In brief, Insight Maker is a completely free tool you can use to:
- Build models in your web browser
- Exercise models and see results
- Send model link to others to allow them to view and interact with the model
- Embed interactive models in Blogs or other web pages
- Develop custom model user-interfaces (flight simulators) HTML and Javascript
- Collaborate with others on models
Since Insight Maker uses Simgua Server technologies for its model analysis engine, it supports a wide variety of modeling features out of the box.
Thoughts on Interaction is on online learning program offered as an introduction to modeling and simulation using Insight Maker. This learning program walks one though all the tools within the Insight Maker model building environment. This learning program is completely online and offered at no fee.
Insight Maker is currently in open beta. This means it is ready for use but there are still rough edges in the software and it will continue to develop. Over the past few months, Insight Maker has undergone testing during a closed Beta.
Enjoy the journey!
Based on the feedback from individuals interacting with the Moodle Systems Thinking courses and the Systems Thinking World Learning Programs a new Systems Thinking learning program has been developed and is currently in beta evaluation.
When asked how this learning program differed from the previous learning programs I came up with the following cooking analogy.
- Moodle Courses – an environment where you read about cooking and answer questions about cooking.
- Systems Thinking World Program – an environment where you read about cooking then answer questions about cooking. Your mentor then responds to your answers and everyone has a chance to observe the exchange.
- Thoughts on Interaction Program – an environment were you cook from a recipe, taste your own cooking and answer questions about your cooking. Your mentor gets to respond to your answers and taste your cooking and everyone else has a chance to observe the exchange and sample your cooking.
If you would like to evaluate this free self-paced learning environment please go to the following SystemsWiki page: http://sn.im/v3abr
Enjoy the Journey,
Gene Bellinger
In order to focus efforts this blog is being moved to the Systems Thinking World discussion group on LinkedIn http://snipr.com/uknbc
I find that the discussion format provides a better environment for enabling feedback from those who interact with the content.
See you there,
Gene Bellinger
Consider the following:
- I have a box that’s about 3′ wide, 3′ deep, and 6′ high.
- It’s a very heavy box.
- The box had a door on it.
- There is a handle on the door.
- When you open the door you find it’s cold inside the box.
- People usually keep food in this box.
- There’s a smaller compartment inside the box with ice and frozen food in it.
- When you open the door of the box a light comes on.
- The box is usually found in the kitchen in a house.
- This box has a tendency to collect stuff on top of it.
- People don’t often move this box often but when they do there’s usually lots of dust under it.
Somewhere along this list you discovered that what was being described was a refrigerator. Continue…
So maybe the last two posts haven’t convinced you that there’s something of great value in Comapping. Well then let me give it one more try!
In the window below there are two Wikipedia links and two links to .pdf documents. The keyword analysis and context generation to the right of those links was generate with a single mouse click. I’ve reviewed the analysis on several documents and I think it’s spot on. What’s the math telling you?
Here’s another reference: What can you do with Context Organizer?
Also, here’s a context page before and after for your comparison.
I didn’t find out about the Comapping Publish option until after the blog post yesterday. Here’s an example of a published map embedded in a web page, or more specifically a blog page.
Single click to navigate, double click to hyperlink.