Have been poking around for a software solution to a research problem. Maybe that's a bad thing.

Nevertheless, to map the complex patterns of ACW political sponsorship of military careers, I would like to visualize the interaction between various generals on one side and various cabinet members and governors on the other side.

I started on this project looking at a simple hypertext authoring tool that could display information relationships graphically. Storyspace has this, but I'm afraid the volume I've collected would overload the display engine. Eastgate, which makes Storyscape, has a new product that may fit the bill, however: Tinderbox, which I need to look with care. However when they say, "Build relationships by arranging notes, organizing them with shape and color, linking them," it sounds like PowerPoint or Visio. And their graphic is does not speak well of organization, although I see possibilities in it.

Crime analysis and private intelligence analysis programs would be perfect, but they are geared for enterprises and government markets. Look at the wow factor here:

The software will troll through open databases, like D&B (DNB ) or LexisNexis, to look for connections between individuals and companies. Then it will illustrate the connections graphically, with lines connecting people and organizations.

This is Analyst's Notebook developed for intelligence work. You know you are entering deep waters when the website contains no hint of price.

Here's something interesting designed for crime-busters:

Watson provides clear and comprehensible charts that uncover patterns and relationships quickly and in detail. With Watson, information can be managed and presented with clarity and precision. Real-time analysis, intelligent querying and numerous temporal, associative or spatial charts ensure that information discovery is optimized and unlimited.

This is another interesting product lacking a price tag.

Back to the 3x5" cards for now.