[CaptArmchair]

I dabble with Gopher for two reasons.

First, it's a simple protocol. Learning about the basics of networking, building your own Gopher client, Gopher offers a great opportunity to tip your toe into the pond.

Second, I have the DiggieDog browser installed on my phone. During my commute, I pass through stretches with limited connectivity. Reading some of the phlogs I follow is a great pass time.

I don't think Gopher needs to be the "next big thing". It has been that a while ago. The limitations are why it got superseded by protocols that cater to the needs of the many. That said, it still has its place on the Internet as a retreat for a community that values Gophers original simplicity. And I think that's absolutely valid.

[FerretFred]

I agree! My little ol' gopher server gets hundreds of hits a day, thankfully not from robots. It's a repository for the unusual and hard-to-find, so (real) people come looking for that. Last year I made a token attempt to modernise it, and opened up a number of categories to my web server. It's all good fun, simple to manage and by and large, used by real humans. What's not to love?