Project BERNERS-LEE: Updates and FAQs

Project BERNERS-LEE is the name given to our upcoming Study Suite platform for web.  The name “BERNERS-LEE” comes from the name of the computer scientist, Tim Berners-Lee, who is credited for inventing the World Wide Web.

To read more about the project details, please visit here.

Project Update as of 8/8/23

Study Suite Anywhere is now available!  Check it out here!

Project Update as of 8/2/23

Beta testing is now complete.  Thank you to all the testers!

The project is now in final production!

Project Update as of 7/19/23

Well, Project BERNERS-LEE is nearing the finish line!  Today I am happy to report that all of the miscellaneous items below from the June project update are complete, with the exception of a few behind the scenes magic, live testing, and price finalization!  And the app finally has a name!  Study Suite Anywhere

Which brings me to my next point.  We are looking for student volunteers to participate in live testing of the new Study Suite Anywhere web app!  We are taking requests at this time to join this panel.  The panel will consist of 25 students who will have one week to use the app and take notes on their experience.  Following the week, we will send out a survey for students to submit their feedback and comments.  Those who take the time to try out the app and complete the survey will be issued a huge discount code to use on the soon-to-be web app, and they will be entered into a sweepstakes to win a free 3-month subscription to Study Suite Anywhere!  Three lucky students will be chosen at random for the free 3-month subscription.

There is no fee to join the panel, and the panelists will not be paid for their participation.  Requests to be on the panel ends Sunday July 23rd or until the quota of panelists has been met.  Live testing for the panel will run from 7/24/23 to 7/30/23.  On Monday, July 24th, we will send all panel members a special link to the new app, an Activation Code, instructions, and our expectations for the testing.

Project Update as of 6/30/23

I am happy to report the project is moving along quite well.  With the exception of a few small improvements, all of the major web pages are complete!  There’s still a bunch to do in the project, such as:

• User settings
• Product registrations
• Logging in/out of the app
• Managing subscriptions, including extending a current subscription as well as renewing an expired one
• Configuring the new server where the app and the data will live
• Connecting the app to the visualveggies.com website
• Testing Dark Mode and different screen resolutions
• Testing the app in a live environment
• Finalize pricing

July is looking like a promising month for the launch of the new web app!  We cannot say for certain that it will be ready by the end of July, but that is my goal, and I feel confident about it!

Frequently Asked Questions

Since we announced the project earlier this month, we’ve had a lot of folks write in asking questions about the upcoming web app of Study Suite.  See below, and reach out to us if you have any additional questions!

Q:  What will the new web app cost?

A:  The pricing is still yet to be determined.  As the project is getting closer to completion, we have been brainstorming pricing more and more, but no final decision has been made yet.  Prices will be similar to other web-based RD Exam study guide apps.

Q:  How long will I have access to the web app?

A:  This will depend on the subscription length you choose.  Currently, we are anticipating having two subscription terms:  3 months and 12 months.  We find many students purchasing the software on their own usually plan on studying for only a few months before their exams, in which case, the 3-month subscription would suffice.  Schools and internships like students using a study guide for a longer period to cover the time when in an internship or a semester, hence the 12-month option.  There will also be the availability to extend the subscription on a monthly basis.

Q:  We use the Academic Edition of Study Suite at our school/internship.  Can we switch over to the new web app?

A:  Yes!  After the web app is live, we will be contacting every school/internship with an active subscription to discuss options.  You will have the option to switch over to the new web app, and we will make sure all of your students have access for the remainder of your current subscription.  In doing so, your students will lose access to the desktop Academic Edition.  You may also choose to remain on your current Academic Edition license and not utilize the web app for the remainder of your subscription.

Q:  We use the Academic Edition of Study Suite at our school/internship.  What will be our future options for ordering?

A:  After the new web app is launched, the ability to order the Academic Edition will cease.  We will continue to regularly update the Academic Edition until the last school’s/internship’s subscription is over.  This will take up to one year.  Your options for future ordering will be either the new web app or the Student Edition desktop for Mac and Windows.  When we reach out to each school/internship individually with an active Academic Edition license, we will discuss more about our fair future pricing plan, since the cost of multiple individual licenses can be exponentially higher than what the school/internship was paying annually for the Academic license.

Q:  Will the new web app work with the Study Suite Monitoring program (the tool for instructors to monitor students’ progress)?

A:  As of this very moment, no.  The reason is the new web app will live on a new server, and the current Monitoring program points to the old server.  Once we complete the Study Suite web app, we will be working on the new Monitoring app, which will also be web-based!  In time, the current desktop Study Suite software will also begin saving data to the new server, so Monitoring will be able to work with both desktop and web apps.

Q:  Will there be an edition for the RD Exam and one for the DTR Exam?

A:  No.  There will actually be one web app that covers both exams!  This part has already been completed in the project.  When you register the new app, you will be asked for which exam you are studying.  The web app will show the appropriate content based on what you selected.  If you made a mistake during the registration process and chose the wrong exam, you can simply change this in the Settings section, and you will have the appropriate content available at your fingertips.

Q:  When the new web app is available, which should I choose?  The new web app or the desktop app?

A:  Both platforms have their own pros and cons.  Some top of mind are listed below:

Desktop for Mac and Windows:

Pros:

• Can be used indefinitely, even after the subscription expires
• Has more to it in terms of features.  There are some features which did not make it to the web app, such as Daily Weak Topics, Study Sessions, Study Partner, Abbreviations, Blind Exams, and Hanging with Nutrition
• Can choose between different package levels.  If you have other study guides and don’t have a need for textual content, then you might not need the Library feature and may opt for the Basic package

Cons:

• Limited to usage on one computer

Web app

Pros

• Can be used anywhere by logging into the website to access
• Can be used on devices not supported in the desktop app, such as iOS and Android tablets and Chromebook computers (an Android operating system)

Cons

• Can be a bit sluggish, depending on your internet connection and the number of calculations the app is doing
• Can only be used with a valid subscription.  Once the subscription expires, you will lose access
• Cannot pick and choose which features you have available.  This will be an all-in-one package
• Does not have all of the features available in the desktop program