[gopher] Re: Fate of the Protocol (was Re: Gopherness)

[JumpJet Mailbox <jumpjetinfo@xxxxxxxxx>]

Not a direct attack on just your server (I just grabbed some random examples), 
but ALL Gopher Servers INTENDED FOR PUBLIC ACCESS that have bad links 
(including mine).  Bad links (and corrupted software for downloading) do 
NOTHING good for the public community, and only serve to turn the public away 
(think: "under construction" on the WWW).  If you don't have time to keep 
thinks up to date (and many Gopher Wranglers do not), then put a bold notice on 
the Server stating that this is a PRIVATE Server, or that the Server is NOT 
being maintained and may contain bad information.
 
If indeed my site does not work with a commonly used Client, why the heck 
didn't you (or any one else in the community using this Client for that matter) 
inform me earlier?  I do however appreciate you finally telling me about the 
Server being "Broken", and so I will take it off-line imediately, pending 
repairs.  Thank you [and I mean this sincerely and truly].  Without some kind 
of matrix showing what Clients can or cannot do, reports like this are the only 
way we have of knowing what our Servers are doing (inadvertantly or otherwise).
 
P.S., with JumpJet off-line, many resourses will be unavailable (such as Gopher 
Jewels and Begin Here).  As I do not know how long it will take to resolve the 
UNM Client problem, I will try to farm out these resources to other Gopher 
Servers which may be willing to continue making them available to the Public in 
the interrum.  Sorry to all for the inconvenience.
 

--- On Sun, 8/10/08, John Goerzen <jgoerzen@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: John Goerzen <jgoerzen@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [gopher] Re: Fate of the Protocol (was Re: Gopherness)
To: gopher@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sunday, August 10, 2008, 9:22 AM

JumpJet Mailbox wrote:
> You mean like the "BROKEN" link to Project Gutenberg:
> gopher://gopher.quux.org/1/Archives/
>  
> Or perhaps the empty link to Online Libraries:
> gopher://gopher.quux.org/1/Reference%09%09%2B
>  
> Yes, that was a bit sarcastic, but seriously, maybe we should begin by
just taking baby steps... such as keeping our own Servers up to date?
> gopher://gopher.quux.org/1/Archives/Mailing%20Lists/gopher
> gopher://hal3000.cx/1/Phlog%09%09%2B
>  
> Or perhaps by helping fellow Gopher Wranglers in that effort by suggesting
to them New Links, and reporting any Broken Links that appear on their Servers: 

> gopher://home.jumpjet.info/1\Gopher_Jewels_2
>  
> (Of course, you can't communicate with a Gopher Wrangler if they
don't bother to put their contact information somewhere on the Server)!!!

You know, anonymous attacks on people is not constructive to the cause.

I am aware there are things that are outdated.  I don't have time to
devote to quux.org right now.  Would you rather I take it down?  I'm not
going to, just because one person has nothing better to do than complain.

You know, there is a right way and a wrong way to inspire people to work
on things.  There are people that have sent me requests to fix things on
quux.org in the right way.  Most often it comes in private, saying "hey,
it would be great if you fixed X."

You have not chosen the right way.

Your site's top-level selector is broken on UMN gopher client.

"Nothing available." is what comes back.

I suspect it has always been so.

Get your own house in order before throwing stones, shall we?

I also tire of your endless rants about contact info.  Your own contact
info doesn't even state who you are.

I know you have made positive contributions to the community.  But let's
keep it that way, and not devolve into attacks, ok?

It is not polite to troll in the first place, and it is even less so to
do so anonymously.

You use a pseudonym here, which is fine.  But you have extra
responsibility not to hide behind it.

-- John