Always remember that Gopher, like FTP or HTTP, is merely a Protocol (a methodology). Neither heavy, light, or even non-usage of the Protocol increases or diminishes its capability.

These Gopher articles are organized into a historically pertinent timeline:

Vogue Growth Era -

Usenet Gopher Announcement
Campus-Wide Information System
On the Trail of the Internet Gopher
Gopher spiel
The Internet Gopher
Lets Gopher it
IUBio Gopher hole
CCSO through Gopher
Summer Go-pher-it Workshops
Tailoring Gopher Services for Individual Users - (.pdf)
APS Server Anniversary - (.pdf)
A Rolling Gopher Gathers No Moss - (.pdf)
Gopher from MOO - (.pdf)
Services Available on The Internet - (.pdf)
Using Gopher on the Internet - (.pdf)
Announcing TurboGopher
A Preliminary Design for a 3-D Spatial User Interface for Internet Gopher
Evolution of Internet Gopher - (.pdf)
Announcing GopherVR
GopherVR now available
Internet Diving
Gopher Jewels Design Change

Mass Defection Era -

The WELL Gopher
Gopher Jewels Tour
Gopher and Veronica - (.pdf)
Who Killed Gopher
Reports of Gopher's Death are Premature
Gopher Jewels Closing
SEC Gopher discontinued
Mother Gopher Obituary
TCP-IP Guide
Where Have all the Gophers Gone
Interview with Paul Lindner
StarTribune
Bob Alberti
About Gopher
Gopher Manifesto
Gopher Underground
Gopher still going
Down the Gopher Hole - (.pdf)
The death of WELLgopher
JumpJet Gopher terminated
How Gopher nearly trumped the web
Bandwidth and Gopher

Current Stagnancy Era -

Gopher tunnels on - (.pdf)
OmniWeb now includes Gopher support
Fun Sites from the Early Internet
The rise and fall of the Gopher protocol - (.pdf)
Long Live Gopher
Why is Gopher Still Relevant

An excusatory video interview with two of the original developers of Gopher

Gopher Jewels Recommence