GOPHER and WorldWideWeb (WWW): funding info vehicles Kenneth D Buelow 22 Dec 1994 16:13 EST
In our office, we've been looking at and discussing GOPHER vs World Wide Web (WWW) technologies, as they're being used by funding sources to make their information & application forms available. Here's a statement of "pros" & "cons," from the perspective of an institution with 850 faculty, that brings in approx. $12 mil/yr, and that has invested time/effort in setting up a GOPHER server. I thought this might be a topic on which we might productively exchange views: ========================================================================== We have made considerable efforts to: 1. Place "Grant Opportunities" information in a UW-Milwaukee GOPHER Server 2. Train our staff to utilize GOPHER "pointers" to various FEDERAL and NON-FEDERAL funding sources to access Grant Guidelines/Application Forms, etc. 3. Alert our faculty to the utility of GOPHER usage to DIRECTLY access these funding sources 4. Provide informal "instruction" to faculty on the use of GOPHER to get "Grant Opportunities" information In GOPHER we found a relatively simple (menu driven) means of obtaining documents, one that was (increasingly) being employed by funding sources to make available their: - application forms - funding priorities - lists of program "contacts" In recent months, there has been a clear switch toward utilization of World Wide Web (WWW) servers by funding sources, as opposed to use of GOPHER servers. The most recent indicators of this "trend" are: - the GrantsWeb Project, organized by NSF, which is a single point of connection to multiple Grants Information WWW servers at a variety of funding sources - NSF's creation of a WWW information server, although NSF has "in place" the most complete GOPHER server - the decision of the FEDIX project to convert their Internet-based connection to multiple FEDERAL agencies from GOPHER to WWW The trend appears clear: [do you agree/disagree??] 1. Access to funding sources information via the Internet has become MORE COMPLEX: quite a number of GOPHER servers existing, while a growing number of NEW sources are appearing which utilize WWW. 2. WWW is the means of access which has greatest "momentum"; we can expect to see much more of it, and considerably fewer new GOPHER servers The shift toward WWW is problematic for our "grants & contracts" operation because: 1. Since we are interested in DOCUMENT retrieval (i.e., TEXT rather than IMAGE, SOUND), the multi-media advantages of WWW over GOPHER become almost mute for us. 2. WWW requires considerable "computer power" (MOSAIC/equivalent, sufficient MB of document storage, adequate CRT size/quality, etc.), while GOPHER demands just a simple Internet connection. 3. We have created a set of Information & "pointers" on the our GOPHER server. Do we wish to "shift" this to a WWW server? Do we wish to maintain the GOPHER and create a WWW server? 4. Our office has limited hardware/software to connect to WWW, and consequently limited staff expertise in its utilization. ======================================================================== What are your views on recent developments in electronic funding info dissemination? Ken ----------------------------------+------------------------------------------ Kenneth D. Buelow / Assistant Director for Research The Graduate School / University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee P.O. Box 340 / Milwaukee, WI 53201 414/229-5449 / xxxxxx@csd.uwm.edu / FAX=414/229-6967 ----------------------------------+------------------------------------------