Hi (and thanx),
AlexK posted the following link somewhere:
http://www.jcu.edu.au/studying/services/studyskills/mindmap/index.html There was also a discussion on MindMapping here a while ago:
http://www.learningstrategies.com/forum/ubb/Forum8/HTML/003873.html (I think I remember seeing you there, Ivan!)
As for tips? Play with it, make a map, redo it, make some elaborate, while others are just lines and words, try using it when just thinking about things, doodling.
I can't remember how I started, I just got hooked.
Kosmik