New Colorado State Cooperative Extension Web Service Proves 24-Hour Answers

Colorado State University Cooperative Extension this week rolls out an Internet question and answer service for the public. The service, called AnswerLink, will provide answers around the clock to thousands of questions about a wide range of topics. The new service is available at www.answerlink.info.

Cooperative Extension, an outreach arm of Colorado State University, helps the public by providing information about a variety of topics including food safety and nutrition, gardening and landscaping, insects, biotechnology, personal finances, youth development, parenting and family issues, food production, strategies to resolve community issues, managing small acreages, animals, forestry and natural resources.

"Cooperative Extension has a long tradition of providing information and education to the public through one-on-one contact, community educational opportunities through our county offices and through information available on our Web sites," said Mary McPhail Gray, Cooperative Extension associate director. "AnswerLink further expands our ability to provide solid, research based information backed by the university to the public to help them improve and enjoy their daily lives. It also allows the public to access information whenever they need it."

In addition to answering general questions about the above topics, AnswerLink can help answer questions about critical, current issues such as drought and fire.

"AnswerLink is a new way for Coloradoans to access Cooperative Extension information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We’re never closed," said Wendy Douglass, Cooperative Extension marketing coordinator. "It’s information for the speed of life."

The service is based on information developed by research scientists, Cooperative Extension agents and specialists and other experts. The public can access the information by topic and keywords, and also by asking AnswerLink a question. For example, the system can answer a vast variety of questions such as how to reduce water use in gardens, how to develop personal expense budgets and how to remove skunk odors from dogs.