Received: with ECARTIS (v1.0.0; list gopher); Wed, 18 Jun 2003 13:22:27 -0500 (CDT) Return-Path: <brian-keyword-gopher.6f04ff@pongonova.net> X-Original-To: gopher@complete.org Delivered-To: gopher@complete.org Received: by gesundheit.complete.org (Postfix, from userid 108) id AF71E1832065; Wed, 18 Jun 2003 13:22:26 -0500 (CDT) X-Scanned-By: clamscan at complete.org Received: from pongonova.net (12-237-214-195.client.attbi.com [12.237.214.195]) by gesundheit.complete.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 27DB5183203F for <gopher@complete.org>; Wed, 18 Jun 2003 13:22:21 -0500 (CDT) Received: (qmail 20751 invoked from network); 18 Jun 2003 18:20:23 -0000 Received: from localhost (HELO turquoise.pongonova.net) (500@127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; 18 Jun 2003 18:20:23 -0000 Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 13:20:21 -0500 To: gopher@complete.org Subject: [gopher] Where are we going? Message-ID: <20030618182021.GA20733@pongonova.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.4i From: Brian <brian-keyword-gopher.6f04ff@pongonova.net> X-Delivery-Agent: TMDA/0.57 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-archive-position: 764 X-ecartis-version: Ecartis v1.0.0 Sender: gopher-bounce@complete.org Errors-to: gopher-bounce@complete.org X-original-sender: brian-keyword-gopher.6f04ff@pongonova.net Precedence: bulk Reply-to: gopher@complete.org List-help: <mailto:ecartis@complete.org?Subject=help> List-unsubscribe: <mailto:gopher-request@complete.org?Subject=unsubscribe> List-software: Ecartis version 1.0.0 List-Id: Gopher <gopher.complete.org> X-List-ID: Gopher <gopher.complete.org> List-subscribe: <mailto:gopher-request@complete.org?Subject=subscribe> List-owner: <mailto:jgoerzen@complete.org> List-post: <mailto:gopher@complete.org> List-archive: <http://www.complete.org/mailinglists/archives/> X-list: gopher

All--

I've been following this list for quite a while, having set up a gopher server and tweaking on it as time permits. For me, it's a window into a much simpler and efficient past. I remember searching gopher sites in the late 80's, and actually finding useful info (as opposed to the crap spewed out by most so-called search engines today).

But the question that's been dogging me is: Where are we going with this? Is the intent to simply keep alive a little piece of history for nostalgic purposes? Are we lying-in-wait, much like the OpenNIC project of which I'm a part, waiting to step in and save the day when the weight of all the cruft holding up the DNS infrastructure caves in on itself? We gopher step in to save the day when people become so jaded with the eye candy that passes for the Internet cry out for real information?

Maybe there's not an end goal in sight, which is OK too. I keep an old Timex-Sinclair and Commodore 128 (both working) in the garage, simply because I can. Will I ever be able to do my taxes on either? Probably not, nor would I want to. They'll sit there and run until they die, I suppose, at which point I'll put them back on the shelf to let the kids discover them when *I* die. Will the same be done with veronica-2, pygopher, and the rest of the "new breed" of gopher clients/servers? Or are there grander visions out there?

--Brian