/users/tomasino/phlog/20180305-what-makes-gopher-special on sdf.org

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	iWhat makes gopher special
	iMarch 05th, 2018
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	i
	iFirst an apology is due to ckeen [0] who I didn't realize was all
	iover this gopher thing. He was even kind enough to link to burrow
	iin a recent phlog. Thanks to jynx for referencing him so I could
	idiscover what I was missing.
	i
	ickeen recently wrote [1] about what makes gopher special to him.
	iHe and jynx [2] nail it pretty well when they talk about the
	isimplicity, creator/consumer dynamic, and signal to noise ratio.
	iI like the intentionality of it all as well. You don't just
	iaccidentally create a gopher hole. You didn't just click a link to
	ioAuth somewhere and start posting nonsense. You chose to create an
	iaccount somewhere that offered a gopher server, or you rolled your
	iown. You sat there with the text editor crafting your message.
	iIt's simple, yes, but it's also much more complicated.
	i
	iIn a sense, the technology itself and its relatively esoteric and
	iretro nature create a sort of gatekeeper. Gatekeeping is generally
	iused in a negative conotation these days, but I think this type of
	inatural systems gatekeeping is different. It's not prejudiced
	iagainst a people or person for identity, but for intent, will, and
	iinterest. The technology hurdles aren't that high to say you have
	ito be a coder to make it work. Cat [3], for instance, has one of
	ithe prettiest gopher holes and he does everything by hand using
	ithe simplest tools. In place of fancy coding proficiency he has
	idemonstrated excellent interest and will to build Fax Sex.
	i
	iI love nerdy communities when they're seething with excitement and
	iintention. I hate nerdy communities when they're filled with
	icriticism, angst, and envy. Gopher satisifes the first group well
	iand avoids the second. Perhaps it is as jynx says, a side effect
	iof no comments. Perhaps it's just the community by chance. Maybe
	iit's a side effect of the manual execution? You can't do
	ia drive-by trolling on gopher, after all. Once you sink in the
	itime to get set up, you're part of things.
	i
	iAt the end of the day, I guess it all boils down to content.
	iThere's a lot of people on here that are doing interesting things.
	iSometimes it's computer related and sometimes not, but that
	iexceptional drive to "do" things is contagious and I love it.
	i

	[0] ckeen's gopher hole
	[1] ckeen - What makes gopher special for me
	[2] jynx - On the specialness of gopher
	[3] Fax Sex (cat)