Editing Gopher (protocol) (section)

===Server census===
[[File:Gopher servers by year.svg|thumb|Number of Gopher servers from 2012 to 2022]]
*{{As of|2012}}, there remained about 160 gopher servers indexed by [[Veronica (search engine)|Veronica-2]],<ref name="Veronica report">{{cite web |url=http://gopher.floodgap.com/gopher/gw?gopher/0/v2/vstat |title=Floodgap Gopher-HTTP gateway |website=Gopher.floodgap.com |access-date=2017-01-05}}</ref> reflecting a slow growth from 2007 when there were fewer than 100.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://db.tidbits.com/article/8909 |title=Down the Gopher Hole |last=Kaiser |first=Cameron |publisher=TidBITS |date=19 March 2007 |access-date=23 March 2007}}</ref> They are typically infrequently updated. On these servers, Veronica indexed approximately 2.5 million unique selectors. A handful of new servers were being set up every year by hobbyists with over 50 having been set up and added to Floodgap's list since 1999.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gopher.floodgap.com/1/new |title=This is a Gopher link|website=gopher.floodgap.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110804183515/http://gopher.floodgap.com/1/new |archive-date=4 August 2011}}</ref> A snapshot of Gopherspace in 2007 circulated on [[BitTorrent]] and was still available in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://changelog.complete.org/archives/1466-download-a-piece-of-internet-history |title=Download A Piece of Internet History |publisher=The Changelog |date=28 April 2010 |access-date=27 July 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20110723002553/http://changelog.complete.org/archives/1466-download-a-piece-of-internet-history |archive-date=23 July 2011}}</ref> Due to the simplicity of the Gopher protocol, setting up new servers or adding Gopher support to browsers is often done in a [[tongue-in-cheek]] manner, principally on [[April Fools' Day]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omniweb/releasenotes/ |title=Release Notes – OmniWeb 5 – Products |publisher=The Omni Group |access-date=27 July 2011 |quote=OmniWeb 5.9.2 Released 1 April 2009: Implemented ground-breaking support for the revolutionary Gopher protocol—a first for WebKit-based browsers! For a list of Gopher servers, see the Floodgap list. Enjoy! |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807064232/http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omniweb/download/releasenotes/ |archive-date=7 August 2011}}. The same text appears in the 5.10 release of 27 August 2009 further down the page, copied from the 5.9.2 unstable branch. The Floodgap list referred to is at [https://gopher.floodgap.com/gopher/gw?gopher/1/new Floodgap: new Gopher servers] and does not itself refer to April Fools' Day.</ref>
*In November 2014 Veronica indexed 144 gopher servers,<ref name="Veronica report"/> reflecting a small drop from 2012, but within these servers Veronica indexed approximately 3&nbsp;million unique selectors.
*In March 2016 Veronica indexed 135 gopher servers,<ref name="Veronica report"/> within which it indexed approximately 4&nbsp;million unique selectors.
*In March 2017 Veronica indexed 133 gopher servers,<ref name="Veronica report"/> within which it indexed approximately 4.9&nbsp;million unique selectors.
*In May 2018 Veronica indexed 260 gopher servers,<ref name="Veronica report"/> within which it indexed approximately 3.7&nbsp;million unique selectors.
*In May 2019 Veronica indexed 320 gopher servers,<ref name="Veronica report"/> within which it indexed approximately 4.2&nbsp;million unique selectors.
*In January 2020 Veronica indexed 395 gopher servers,<ref name="Veronica report"/> within which it indexed approximately 4.5&nbsp;million unique selectors.
*In February 2021 Veronica indexed 361 gopher servers,<ref name="Veronica report"/> within which it indexed approximately 6&nbsp;million unique selectors.
*In February 2022 Veronica indexed 325 gopher servers,<ref name="Veronica report"/> within which it indexed approximately 5&nbsp;million unique selectors.