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.
http://www.systemswiki.org/index.php?title=Thoughts_on_Interaction/Additional_Tools#Embed
I am so taken with Insight Maker that I actually created a Free Modeling & Simulation/Systems Thinking Learning program around it
http://www.systemswiki.org/index.php?title=Thoughts_on_Interaction
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 difficult 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.
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