Gopher

gopher://gopher.ptloma.edu

http://www.scn.org/~bkarger/gopher-manifesto

Interesting Atari game. You are a farmer and you must protect your carrots from rampaging Gophers. Slightly original, but not to terribly fun. A clone of this game was released called Farmer Dan

This game is valued at around $9 USD. Games with boxes and manuals are worth more.

gopher n.

A type of Internet service first floated around 1991 and obsolesced around 1995 by the World Wide Web. Gopher presents a menuing interface to a tree or graph of links; the links can be to documents, runnable programs, or other gopher menus arbitrarily far across the net.

Some claim that the gopher software, which was originally developed at the University of Minnesota, was named after the Minnesota Gophers (a sports team). Others claim the word derives from American slang `gofer' (from "go for", dialectal "go fer"), one whose job is to run and fetch things. Finally, observe that gophers dig long tunnels, and the idea of tunneling through the net to find information was a defining metaphor for the developers. Probably all three things were true, but with the first two coming first and the gopher-tunnel metaphor serendipitously adding flavor and impetus to the project as it developed out of its concept stage.

--The Jargon File version 4.3.1, ed. ESR, autonoded by rescdsk.

Gopher is a term used for the person in a workplace whose job it is to go and fetch things for other people in the workplace. This could include anything from three small bits of wood and 4 cc of mouse blood, to a toasted ham and cheese sandwich.

The term comes from the way a gopher is required to 'go-for' whatever their co-workers should require.

In some countries this job could also be known as 'dogsbody', although the term 'dogsbody' implies doing all sorts of menial tasks, not just 'going for' things.

Sometimes spelled as 'Gofer', to distinguish from the burrowing animal of the same name.

Sasha Gabba Hey! points out that in tradesmen's circles, more experienced personnel will invariably ask a gopher to fetch items such as a 'left-handed screwdriver', a bucket of stripey paint etc.

Members of Geomyidae have yellow incisors, which are always exposed, even when their mouths are shut. Their eyes and ears are small, and they have short, hairless tails. Their front claws are curved like a mole's, an obvious adaptation for digging. Indeed, they are the bane of lawn care. The mounds they create are characteristically fan-shaped. The entrances to their tunnels are denoted by plugs of earth. They do not like being above ground, though they do occasionally forage.

Pocket gophers are so named because they have fur lined external cheeks that can be turned inside out. In effect, pockets on their heads. They use these strange fashion accessories to carry food around. They love to hoard food, and can form huge caches of vegetable matter. Being subterranean, they mostly eat roots, tubers, and anything else a plant is careless enough to place below ground.

They are mostly solitary, and care nothing for night or day, being active at all hours. Size ranges from 120 to 229 centimeters (4 and three quarters to 9 inches). Most are brown, to match the soil. They are polygamous, and some are territorial. There are many subspecies.

Species:
* Cratogeomys bursarius
* Cratogeomys castanops (yellow-faced pocket gopher)
* Cratogeomys fumosus (smoky pocket gopher)
* Cratogeomys goldmani
* Cratogeomys gymnurus (Llano pocket gopher)
* Cratogeomys merriami (Merriam's pocket gopher)
* Cratogeomys neglectus (Queretaro pocket gopher)
* Cratogeomys tylorhinus (naked-nosed pocket gopher)
* Cratogeomys zinseri (Zinser's pocket gopher)

* Geomys arenarius (desert pocket gopher)
* Geomys attwateri
* Geomys breviceps
* Geomys bursarius (Plains pocket gopher)
* Geomys knoxjonesi
* Geomys lutescens
* Geomys personatus (South Texas pocket gopher)
* Geomys pinetis (southeastern pocket gopher)
* Geomys streckeri
* Geomys texensis
* Geomys tropicalis (tropical pocket gopher)

* Orthogeomys cavator (Chiriqui pocket gopher)
* Orthogeomys cherriei (Cherrie's pocket gopher)
* Orthogeomys grandis (giant pocket gopher)
* Orthogeomys heterodus (variable pocket gopher)
* Orthogeomys hispidus (hispid pocket gopher)
* Orthogeomys underwoodi (Underwood's pocket gopher)

* Pappogeomys alcorni (Alcorn's pocket gopher)
* Pappogeomys bulleri (Buller's pocket gopher)

* Thomomys bottae (Botta's pocket gopher)
* Thomomys bulbivorus (Camas pocket gopher)
* Thomomys mazama
* Thomomys monticola (mountain pocket gopher)
* Thomomys talpoides (northern pocket gopher)
* Thomomys talpoides yakimensis
* Thomomys townsendii (western pocket gopher)
* Thomomys umbrinus (southern pocket gopher)

* Zygogeomys trichopus (tuza)

Sources: Peterson Field Guides: Mammals by Burt and Grossenheider
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=10010

Go"pher (?), n. [F. gaufre waffle, honeycomb. See Gauffer.] Zool.

1.

One of several North American burrowing rodents of the genera Geomys and Thomomys, of the family Geomyidae; -- called also pocket gopher and pouched rat. See Pocket gopher, and Tucan.

⇒ The name was originally given by French settlers to many burrowing rodents, from their honeycombing the earth.

2.

One of several western American species of the genus Spermophilus, of the family Sciuridae; as, the gray gopher (Spermophilus Franklini) and the striped gopher (S. tridecemlineatus); -- called also striped prairie squirrel, leopard marmot, and leopard spermophile. See Spermophile.

3.

A large land tortoise (Testudo Carilina) of the Southern United States, which makes extensive burrows.

4.

A large burrowing snake (Spilotes Couperi) of the Southern United States.

Gopher drift Mining, an irregular prospecting drift, following or seeking the ore without regard to regular grade or section. Raymond.

© Webster 1913.