I’ve been away from PMOG for a while – they were having some teething problems as they updated bits and pieces of their system. I’d been trying to make a mission built around the Great Canadian Mysteries website, similar to the first one I made, ‘Awwww, Sir, how can I find out anything about THAT?‘. Anyway, I got frazzled, and left it alone for a while (everything kept crashing on me). Took a peek at PMOG today, and things seem to be running well again, a bit nicer layout and so on. So I’ll try again…

Meantime, here’s the opening blurb from the mission, where ‘the Professor’ takes a student by the hand, and sets them off on a quest to find proper research materials…

“”How in the world can I find sources on the motivations of ancient Olympic athletes?? Maybe if you told me what to read, then I could answer the question.” read the email. The prof looked away from his computer, groaning inwardly. And no doubt, just parrot back to me a webpage, he thought. Why do students expect to be spoon-fed everything?

“Follow me. First, let us search ‘ancient olympics’ properly. Where would you go first, O student at the University of Manitoba with its excellent library resources?’ ”

(Nb, I’m not that snide with students. Dramatis personae, and all that…)

In setting up the mission, I left ‘mines’ and other booby-traps at places where students typically go that are emphatically NOT good research sources (but students nevertheless find with dismaying regularity). They’ve since all been tripped, so I’ll have to go lay some more. Some feedback from other Pmogeons:

	caggles (02 Apr 2008 16:25:28) I found it ^_^ Awesome quest. I like the idea behind it, the student doing a project. I can totally relate XD
	sarastani (19 Mar 2008 18:31:58) I found it! I found it! I like these missions. Good job Professor!
	chetyre (18 Mar 2008 04:12:14) Sorry, I’m just dense and didn’t figure out the last URL. Carry on…
	chetyre (18 Mar 2008 03:39:39) It broke for me on the Penn Museum page. Don’t know if it’s just me. Also, you might want to look out since “rrdreamer” is leaving mines on your pages ;)
	azeo (17 Mar 2008 15:26:12) Hmm, am I detecting some work-related frustration? ;-)
	snocrsh (17 Mar 2008 14:56:48) Scholarly journals are made of academic win. It’s that simple!

(Not sure what that last comment actually means, but anyway…)

The one thing that prevents me from wholeheartedly embracing the concept of PMOG: what do they do with all of that data generated on browsing habits? Clearly, that’s information worth lots of $$$…