[gopher] Gopherplus.org purchased

[Denis BERNARD]

kaltheat <kaltheat at ...> writes:

> Why not use the existing gopherproject.org domain? Kaiser already stated
that he is
> willing to offer it for a project "home". Since you already purchased that
domain both
> could point to the project's home.

I purchased the domain gopherplus.org in emergency as soon I noticed a new
programmer's community strongly growing with the support of an major actor
of Internet. (see at "Wikipedia Go (programming language").

This community already uses the animal gopher as we do. The company
supporting this language has its two first letters beginning by "go". So,
today, it is very much difficult to protect the word gopher like the name of
a fruit (apple!). Even if you are very rich. So the choice of gopherplus
that was still possible.

About Cameron Kaiser that I never meet but I spoke with him on this list in
the past. 

I have a great admiration for all he is doing for Gopher since years. He
spend hours and hours every weeks for Gopher. But I disagree with him in a
fundamental point about the future of Gopher.

As you know, Gopher protocol doesn't have an unique version but two. It is
the same for HTML protocol that is now at its fifth version or HTTP going to
HTTP-2. In the Internet life, nothing is definitive everything is changing.

We have Gopher protocol (first version) and Gopher+ protocol (second
version). The authors of the second version were exactly the same authors
than the first one. These persons declared clearly that Gopher+ was a
replacement of the old Gopher. This is an historical fact.

So what about these two versions? 

It is the same than radio transmission. In its beginning,  radio
transmission was only possible by morse code. Later, human voice was
technically possible. 

The history of Gopher was similar as the radio transmission was. At first
stage, something simple, robust and cheap for specialists but not handy for
human. At second stage, more sophistication, more difficult and more
expensive for specialists but very handy for human.

From its psychological side, the today gopher community mostly reject
Gopher+ protocol and is like some ham radio keying morse code only.

As seaman, I used a little bit morse code in the past. But, believe me,
phony radio is very much more handy and used. However, morse code is still
in use in some very professional radio transmission and in rare
circumstances (like radar beacon). And most of ham radio operators uses voice!

I do not want to become a benevolent dictator. But I want a modern Gopher.
This can’t be done by one person. Even not by ten. And certainly, there will
be the need of support from commercial companies. So this call for a very
wide, open (and friendly!) collaboration I sent.

-- deber