Gopher (search engine) facts for kids
Gopher is like an old-fashioned way to share and find information on the Internet. Think of it as an early version of the World Wide Web that we use today. It was made to help people find and read documents online.
Gopher works a bit differently from how websites work now. Instead of clicking on links on a webpage, Gopher uses menus. When you choose something from a Gopher menu, it either opens another menu with more choices or shows you a document you want to read.
What is Gopher?
Gopher is a special set of rules, called a protocol. It tells computers how to talk to each other to share files. It was created in the early 1990s. At that time, it was a popular way to explore information online.
How Gopher Works
Imagine you're in a library, and each shelf is a menu. When you pick a book (a document), you read it. If you pick another shelf, it leads you to more books. That's how Gopher works! You navigate through menus to find what you're looking for. This was a simple and clear way to organize information.
Why Gopher Didn't Win
Gopher was very useful, but it didn't become as big as the World Wide Web. One reason was a worry about possible licensing fees. This meant people might have had to pay to use Gopher. Also, the World Wide Web, which uses HTTP, was more flexible. It could do more things, like show pictures and different fonts easily. Because of these reasons, most people started using the Web instead of Gopher.
Gopher Today
Today, Gopher is a small, quiet corner of the Internet. There are fewer than 200 Gopher servers still active. Most of these are run by people who really love the old technology. They keep Gopher alive as a hobby. Some new Gopher servers are even set up each year by these enthusiasts.
Even though it's not popular, Gopher has some cool features. For example, you can share your email address on a Gopher site without worrying too much about spam. It's also good for sharing lots of data without slowing down the server.
Many modern web browsers, like Mozilla Firefox, don't directly support Gopher anymore. But don't worry! You can still find special add-ons or plugins that let you visit Gopher sites. This means you can still explore this unique part of Internet history!
