[gopher] Re: BRING THE GOPHER BACK

[JumpJet Mailbox <jumpjetinfo@xxxxxxxxx>]

You may find most of what you are seeking already on Gopher Jewels 2
  gopher://home.jumpjet.info/11\Gopher_Jewels_2
   
  As far as Gopher dying/rising...
  Educational/Government sources are dying,
  Other sources are stable.
   
  A quick look over GJ2 will show that the real problem with Gopher is the lack 
of content originating on Gopher.  Most of the rarely appearing "new" content 
is really just feeds from an HTTP (Web) source.  
   
  If Gopher is to expand, then the ORIGINAL source of the content has to reside 
on a Gopher server (i.e., like the content originating on JumpJet 
gopher://home.jumpjet.info).  Heck, I can't even get regular Gopher uses to 
report broken links or suggest new content for GJ2!!!  Come on people, post 
your holiday photos, post your class notes, post a recording of your garage 
band, post your grandmas bunt cake recipe... Just post "something" on your 
Gopher Server... Anything!!!!
   
  
Pawel <pawelsz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
  Hello Gopher hackers !

Why not try to bring the Gopher back ?
I have few ideas how to incarse popularity of GOPHER.

1. Newsletter

There should be some monthly Gopher newsletter avalible. Newsletter is a 
great way to build community coz it can bring new users into Gopherspace 
and its great way to leave a sign of GOPHER for next generations ;)
Sample newsletter could contain:
1. Quick overview of current GOPHER scene events
2. Inforamtion about new GOPHER software
3. Information abour new GOPHER services
4. Intresting GOPHER pages
etc.

2. More statistics.
There should be much more statistics avalible about Gopherspace.
With that info we could SEE how GOPHER is dying or rising.

Usefull info are in example:
1. How much unique IP'shave used Veronica
2. How much gopher:// servers are avalible (aka netcraft.com)
etc.

3. More software
We should make more software. Not only GOPHER servers (witch require high 
programming skills) but also typical usefull every-day scripts for 
Gopherspace. In example:
1. Slashdot rss news to gopher
2. All world weather service scripts
3. html to Gopher .list generator
etc.

4. More *unique* contents. In example:
1. Legal mp3 music (or *illegal* if server will be in Sweden)
2. P0rn... (yes its non ethical but the true is that "The internet
is for p0rn"
3. Unique legal software (0day exploits in example). Linking such
software only with gopher:// will force peoples to use GOPHER :)
4. Non always ethical (but legal !) things removed from internet
via censorship. (political manifests of Osama Bin Ladin in
example)
5. Torrents are small and legal to host in most normal countries.

5. HACKING
Various hardcore hacking experiments like:

0. MUST HAVE: Read only English wikipedia
1. JavaME GOPHER server for mobile phones
2. Gopher based p2p network ;)

6. Better communication
There should be some offical IRC channel

7. Marketing
Email singatures, forum signatures, usenet signatures, warez .nfo
signatures refering to gopher://. We could even make some "dirty"
marketing like *mistakenly* irc channel message (not spamming !):

> pawelsz: /mgs Mike I have found that 0day linux exploit thru
veronica search engine: gopher://gopher.floodgap.com/

> pawelsz: ohh sorry everyone that should be /msg (insted of
/mgs) for Mike ! move along noting to see here.

That info should intrested some peoples. Other dirty way is http
referrer spoofing to get better indexing by google. In theory is
totally legal. But it can be un ethical ;)



I know that some of ideas are NOT ethical - but they are just ideas so plz 
dont be mad :D
Of course its easy to write what others should do - but dont be fooled,
right now im writing "Slashdot rss to gopher script" and i could (with 
some help of native english speaker) make the monthly GOPHER newsletter.


have a nice day :)



gopher://sdf.lonestar.org/11/users/pawelsz/
"I do not fear computers. I fear lack of them." Isaac Asimov




       
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