I like the way the flowchart captures the essential process. I mindmap when I read stuff like this but a flowchart works nice too.

I have written a blog post about linking out as a ranking factor back then. Wanted to link it in the comments but the comment does not show up.

@Tad - U want to send it ove rto me Tad I can add to the post if you'd like. For the record though, I am not entirely sure it is an actual signal or if, as Matt eluded to, their algorithm 'encourages' responsible outbound linking. Which might just be the inverse of the fact that TR discourages crappy linking. Hard to say.

@Ruud, I must say, after I do an initial run-through on a patent I tend to have a look at the flow charts etc to see if they can help crystalize the concept more for me. Sometimes they do, other times... not so much