I was browsing around and noticed that the server at l00t.de
has had the audacity to include extended ascii characters in
their gopher hole[1]. This is awesome.

The look  reminds me  of the  old BBS  days. People  used to
craft  the most  amazing artwork  back then,  using extended
characters, and often color. Here's the tidbit from l00t.de:

 ██▓███   ██░ ██  ██▓     ▒█████    ▄████
▓██░  ██▒▓██░ ██▒▓██▒    ▒██▒  ██▒ ██▒ ▀█▒
▓██░ ██▓▒▒██▀▀██░▒██░    ▒██░  ██▒▒██░▄▄▄░
▒██▄█▓▒ ▒░▓█ ░██ ▒██░    ▒██   ██░░▓█  ██▓
▒██▒ ░  ░░▓█▒░██▓░██████▒░ ████▓▒░░▒▓███▀▒
▒▓▒░ ░  ░ ▒ ░░▒░▒░ ▒░▓  ░░ ▒░▒░▒░  ░▒   ▒
░▒ ░      ▒ ░▒░ ░░ ░ ▒  ░  ░ ▒ ▒░   ░   ░
░░        ░  ░░ ░  ░ ░   ░ ░ ░ ▒  ░ ░   ░
          ░  ░  ░    ░  ░    ░ ░        ░

This  looks to  have been  auto-generated perhaps,  but it's
still fun.

Just for kicks, I tried loading it in a few different gopher
browsers. It  works perfectly  in VF-1  and Lynx.  In Minuet
(DOS) and in UMN Gopher (BSD & Linux) it comes back garbled.
In the muffin labs proxy it works OK (some odd spacing), but
in  the floodgap  proxy (via  web or  plugin) it  comes back
garbled. In "forg" it looks like  it does in the muffin labs
proxy. In  gophervr it's  garbled. In  sacc it  almost works
(the extended  ascii characters are there,  but something is
amiss with the spacing.)

Of course, the rendering in VF-1  and Lynx are the only ones
that really  matter (though,  it would  be nice  if floodgap
would update their proxy and plug.)

The nice thing, in my opinion, is that people in gopherspace
aren't going to pitch a fit if they see something that isn't
quite right. They're not going to call tech support or lodge
a complaint or  whine on social media. They're  not going to
take their business elsewhere,  because they can't. You take
what you get, and you're happy for it.

The ascii at l00t.de makes me happy.

[1] gopher://l00t.de:70/1/Phlog