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A COOL Challenge for All
By Brett Walther
Saturday, September 7, 2002
Have you ever noticed how many acronyms there are in this world?
In the field of technology alone, we have URL's, ISP's, CD-ROM's, HTTP's? As that guy in the Dell commercials says so succinctly, "It's enough to make your head spin?"
One of the most clever and appropriate acronyms, however, is home grown, but rapidly gaining in familiarity as word of its innovation spreads.
COOL is short for County of Oxford OnLine: Oxford County's Internet-based community directory. With over 2,200 listings of Oxford businesses, services and organizations, COOL features information on hours of operation, contact information and even maps to help you locate the organization.
As part of its ongoing development, COOL launched the aptly titled COOL Challenge, an online trivia game, amidst much fanfare during the project's first-year anniversary at a ceremony held in Market Square in April 2002.
The COOL Challenge can be accessed by following the link to the game that is posted on the COOL Directory home page at www.cooloxford.ca, or by typing the Internet address http://cool.county.oxford.on.ca/cool_game/ in your web browser.
Project facilitator Meredith Maywood sees the COOL Challenge as a fun way to become acquainted with the Oxford County Community. "Trivia questions are based on information about Oxford organizations that can be found on the COOL Directory, thus encouraging players to explore COOL before deciding on their answer."
Players are guided and encouraged throughout the game by the "COOL Kid", the creation of Brian Chan of the Oxford County Web Team. If you complete the game with a score of 80% or more, the COOL Kid will perform tricks on his skateboard to celebrate your achievement. The game is personalized, using your name throughout, and allowing you to choose the length of the game in the form of 10, 15 or 20 question rounds.
COOL Challenge was created through the partnership of the County of Oxford Corporate Services Department GeoGraphics Information System (GGIS), the Oxford County Library (OCL), and Information Access Oxford (IAO). As well, Oxford County Library Community Access Program (CAP) representatives who worked in various library branches developed questions for the game.
To have your organization listed on the COOL Directory, and perhaps even featured in a COOL Challenge question, contact COOL representative Meredith Maywood by email at mmaywood@ocl.net or speak with her at (519) 423-1928, extension 201.
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