Redirecting to the new site and the updated program
This is an out of date version of the page. It will be redirected to the new site.
If this page does not take you to the WhatBots site within a few seconds, please click here.
During September/October 2009 there will redirection for a while but eventually the URL will again be www.whatbots.com
Look under "What topics?" on the menu bar on the new site to see what Question Sets are available.
The program on the new site has been updated and is easier to install than the old one.
The WhatBots program is a simple program and most of the time you are using it, you are working with a single screen that asks a question. The design intention is to have a streamlined program that is easy to use, without complicating features.
Each topic is in a folder called a Question Set. You tell the WhatBots program what you want to study by picking one of the Question Sets from a menu screen.
When you start working with a Question Set, the WhatBots program chooses a question from it and displays it to you. When you are ready, you tell the WhatBot to reveal the answer. After revealing the answer, the WhatBots program asks if you knew the answer and how well (Yes/Partly/No). Then it asks another question and another and another - for as long as you want the practice.
The questions appear to be chosen at random from the Question Set, but they are better than random. The program takes account of your knowledge when choosing them. So when you say you know an answer, the WhatBot will select that question less often in the future. It's like having a personal tutor, who knows what you need to concentrate on, picking the questions to ask you.
Note that you don't have to type the answer in and you don't have to select from multi-choice questions. But you do have to think, recalling what you know - or getting reminded of it if you have forgotten.
The program runs on your PC, not across the Internet. So you don't have the delays that you sometimes get from Internet connections and you can use the program when you are not connected to the Internet. Once you have the WhatBots program set up on your PC, you are only two mouse clicks away from a question. So you can use it at a moment's notice - as a break from other work, while doing something else at the same time or in a concentrated study session.
If you have weeks to learn something, you can do it in small manageable amounts - just a few questions at a time. Almost painlessly. But if you need to learn it more quickly, you can settle down to a concentrated session, for as long as you want.
This program isn't for everyone. You'll probably have realised already that this program is for people who want to learn. It's a study aid - it will help you to learn when that's what you want to do and you're motivated to learn. It doesn't spoon-feed you, it doesn't play sounds to reward you or display congratulatory messages to encourage you to learn. That's all up to you.
Can you meet the challenge of the WhatBot?
What does it cost? The program itself is free. Some of the Question Sets are also free. Other Question Sets might in the future need a paid-for licence. See details on the page telling you about the Question Set you are interested in.
At present (August 2009) there are no charges - a free licence is available for all Question Sets.