petergarner.net gopher root
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 -- Retro/Weird: some content from the era of Gopherism ------------

 Welcome to Retro/Weird! Gopherism came onto the online scene as the
 once-ubiquitous BBS (Bulletin Board Systems) were starting to fade
 away. Naturally, some of the more famous BBS crossed over successfull
 to the new Gopherholes and fewer still then made the jump to the WWW.
 I feel it's only right to feature some of these, er, institutions alo
 with a brief info. Enjoy the weirdness!
 
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 "The WorldWideWeb (W3) is a wide-area hypermedia information retrieva
 initiative aiming to give universal access to a large universe of doc
 Gopher was mature at that time of course, but I felt it only right to
 this link due to its historical significance.
The entire WWW in November 1992 (link)
 Based in Lubbock, Texas, CULT OF THE DEAD COW (cDc) is the most-
 accomplished and longest-running group in the computer underground. 
 Founded in 1984 and widely considered to be the most elite people 
 to ever walk the face of the earth, this think tank has been referred
 to as both "a bunch of sickos" (Geraldo Rivera) and "the sexiest grou
 of computer hackers there ever was" (Jane Pratt, 'Sassy' & 'Jane' mag
 The cDc is a leading developer of Internet privacy and security tools
 which are all free to the public. In addition, the cDc created the 
 first electronic publication, which is still going strong.
Cult of the Dead Cow
 2600: THE HACKER QUARTERLY is an American publication that specialize
 in publishing technical information on a variety of subjects includin
 telephone switching systems, Internet protocols and services, as well
 as general news concerning the computer underground and left wing, 
 and sometimes (but not recently), anarchist issues. The magazine's 
 name comes from the phreaker discovery in the 1960s that the transmis
 of a 2600 hertz tone (which could be produced perfectly with a plasti
 whistle given away free with Cap'n Crunch cereal) over a long-distanc
 trunk connection gained access to "operator mode" and allowed the use
 explore aspects of the telephone system that were not otherwise acces
 The magazine was first published in 1984, coinciding with the book of
 same name and the break-up of AT&T.
2600 Magazine
2600 "Off the Wall": A weekly show on WUSB radio, Stony Brook, Long Island
2600 "Off the Hook": A weekly show on WBAI radio, New York
 CHURCH OF THE SUBGENIUS: Hard to define, but here goes..
 "Pity the poor human Earth Pink who comes looking for a SIMPLE, SHORT
 EXPLANATION of The Church of the SubGenius™, one that he or she can 
 UNDERSTAND QUICKLY. If the Church could provide THAT, it would be 
 bigger than Islam or Christianity by now -- and probably much, much w

 .. and..

 "A parodic cult that grew out of mailart, and begun by the Rev. Ivan 
 The Church is one of the most obvious parody cults, attack new-wave 
 evangelicalists. Begun as a mock-threatening campaign, pictures of bi
 minus their front wheels were sent to various individuals by Stang, c
 the receiver had stolen his wheel but could, for five dollars, purcha
 indulgence for the sin. The money was sent, together with a photograp
 the sender's complete bike, to be blessed".
Church of The SubGenius: "The Hour of Slack" 
 THE ANCIENT AND HONORABLE ORDER OF E CLAMPLUS VITUS (ECV) is a frater
 organization dedicated to the study and preservation of the heritage 
 the American West, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold
 mining regions of the area. The fraternity is not sure if it is a 
 "historical drinking society" or a "drinking historical society." 
 There are chapters in California, Nevada, and other western states. 
 Members call themselves "Clampers." The organization's name is in Dog
 Latin, and has no known meaning.
The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus 
ECV HISTORY
More ECV HISTORY