GEN: ftp v gopher v web

[Dan Robinson / Indexing Services <drobinson@INFO.HWWILSON.COM>]

I find this discussion interesting. I remember when Gopher was the
new kid on the block and general users were so relieved that Gopher
would download a file in the correct format from an ftp server
without having to specify whether it was binary or ascii.
However, when using Gopher, I found that I was disconnected quite a
few times when larger files where downloaded. Does anyone still
Telnet to a system, or do people skip that address when the browser
can't connect? If you telnet, do you do it within a browser, or
directly? (Rhetorical questions).

Each new application has become more complex and somewhat slower. If
I had to download a large file, I found it faster to use native ftp
rather than go through Gopher. (I still use native ftp when faced
with very large files)

The Web just takes the Gopher concept further. It can do more, so it
is slower. It still has all of the capabilities of the Gopher. Check
your browser under File. There should be an operation to Mail a
document. << Of course, the formatting isn't always obvious, and
you'll tend to send html formatted documents, but a little
experimenting will cure that >> .

Files are easy to save and it's easy to grab text off the screen.
FTP, Telnet, and email work within the browser programs.  Maintaining
both Gopher servers and Web servers requires more than double the
effort. You can't use the same document twice and the loading
procedures are very different. While it's sad to see the Gophers
disappear, their time is past. At some point a new protocol that is
more efficient and versatile will replace the Web. I'd wager that
many people will then complain about the loss of a familiar access to
information. <grin>.

Noting the problems with Web based archives is good, since the
programs could use improvement, but the Gophers won't return.

Dan Robinson
Indexing Services
H.W. Wilson Company
Bronx, NY
drobinson@hwwilson.com

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