Gopher is an Internet protocol devoloped at the University of Minnesota that organizes information on the Internet into an easy-to-use interconnected menu system. Within a single Gopher server, Gopher menus are hierarchial. That is, there are distinct levels within the menu system, the "Main Menu" being the top level. Menu items can be links to many things. They usually lead to another Gopher menu or a text file. A menu item can also connect you to another Gopher server, access an FTP file, or initiate a Telnet session with another computer. The fact that one Gopher menu item can connect you to another Gopher server is what makes the Gopher system interconnected. The large network formed by these interconnected Gopher servers is often called Gopherspace.
With the increasing popularity of the World Wide Web, Gopher is not used quite as much as it used to be. It still has its advantages, however. Because Gopher menus present text information in such a conveinent fashion, many organizations host on-line libraries or reference systems on Gopher servers. You can also find most on-line reports published by the U.S. government (as well as other governments and international organizations) in Gopherspace. Commercial groups tend to put their businesses on the World Wide Web, instead of Gopherspace, because of the Web's multimedia capabilities (incorporation of graphics, sound, etc.).
Why the Name Gopher?
In an attempt to answer this question, the University of Minnesota (where Gopher was created) gives the following definitions of the word gopher:
Gopher n. 1. Any of various short tailed, burrowing mammals of the family Geomyidae, of North America. 2. (Amer. colloq.) Native or inhabitant of Minnesota: the Gopher State. 3. (Amer. colloq.) One who runs errands, does odd-jobs, fetches or delivers documents for office staff. 4. (computer tech.) Software following a simple protocol for tunneling through a TCP/IP Internet connection.
Another possible influence leading to the name gopher is the fact that the University of Minnesota mascot is a gopher, named the "Golden Gopher." In addition, the Gopher system does "go for" information, much like an office gopher.
Accessing and Using Gopher
If you have a SLIP/PPP account, chances are that you probably spend most of your time on the Internet using the World Wide Web. If this is the case, you should know that most Web browsers can access Gopher menus and documents. The URL protocol prefix for a Gopher item is simply gopher://. When most browsers encounter this prefix, either when manually entered or selected as a link, they automatically load an internal Gopher client that can "read" Gopher menus and documents.
Special stand-alone applications called gopher clients also exist, as an alternative to always using your web browser to view gopher documents.
Gopher Addresses
Gopher addresses consist of three parts:
The Gopher server name is simply the domain name of the computer hosting the Gopher site. For example, the Gopher server name of the National Archies is gopher.nara.gov. The port is a number that directs your Gopher software to a specific document on the Gopher server. It is sort of like an extension number within an office switchboard system. You can call the business directly, or you can enter an extension number to talk to a specific person or department. The default port number is 70. This is where most Gopher servers have their "Main Menu." Over 90% of the time, you will not need to enter a port number. But, it's always good to know how.
With most Web browsers, Gopher ports are entered with a colon (:) separating the Gopher server name and the port number, like this:
gopher://gopher.nara.gov:340
Notice this URL's prtocol prefix, gopher://. This prefix must be entered with the URL in order to access a Gopher item from within your Web browser. It takes the place of the familiar http://. If you are using a separate Gopher client application, a "Connect" dialogue box will probably have a separate entry box for the port number. Just remember that the default port number is 70 and unless a specific port number is given, don't change the default port number.
The last part of a Gopher address is the path. You only need to enter a path if you want to access a specific Gopher item directly without having to weave your way through all of the menus that come before the desired document. For example, The FineArt Forum is located at the Gopher server gopher.msstate.edu. If you entered only the server name, you would have to go through a couple of menus before actually reaching the FineArt Forum. This is where the path comes in. The path is simply the "path" of menus (actually directories on the Gopher server's computer) that must be followed to get to the desired Gopher item. The full address (path included) of the FineArt Forum is this:
gopher.msstate.edu/1/Onlineservices/fineart_online
Notice the forward slash (/) separating each part of the path.
Gopher Bookmarks
Virtually every Gopher program has a feature called bookmarks. Bookmarks are simply Gopher items (directories, documents, or search boxes) that you use frequently and "bookmark" by saving the item's Gopher address and description on your computer. Most Gopher programs allow for easy saving of "bookmarks" and allow you to access bookmarks in the form of an easy-to-use menu. Read your Gopher program's help documents for specific information on how to bookmark Gopher items.
Searching Gopherspace with VERONICA
VERONICA, which stands for Very Easy Rodent-Oriented Network of Indexed Articles, is an easy-to-use search engine that returns all documents in Gopherspace containing a user-defined search string. VERONICA can be used to search either Gopher documents or Gopher menus, or both. VERONICA can be accessed at gopher://veronica.scs.unr.edu/11/veronica.