From about 1992 through 1996, Gopher was an Internet application
in which hierarchically-organized text files could be brought from servers
all over the world to a viewer on your computer. Especially in universities,
Gopher was a step toward the World Wide Web's Hypertext Transfer Protocol
(HTTP), which effectively replaced it within a short time. With hypertext
links, the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), and the arrival of a graphical
browser, Mosaic, the Web quickly transcended Gopher. Gopher was developed
at the University of Minnesota, whose sports teams are called "the
Golden Gophers."
Although most Gopher browsers and files are text-based, Gopher browsers,
notably HyperGopher, were developed that displayed graphic images (GIF and
JPEG files) that were included in Gopher file directories. Two tools for
searching Gopher file hierarchies were Veronica and Jughead.
Although the root directory for Gopher is sometimes still accessible
at the University of Minnesota or elsewhere and despite some efforts to
revive Gopher, virtually all Gopher servers are no longer active. It seems
likely that almost all of the original Gopher content has been made accessible
on the World Wide Web.
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