The Cutting Edge: Computing / Technology / Innovation : POSTCARD FROM CYBERSPACE : Let Gopher Dig for Government Information

Time was when getting information from the U.S. government involved letter writing, phone calls and sometimes even trips to Washington to search through records. Nowadays, you can get a good bit of government information on the Internet.

One of the best tactics is to use gopher, a simple menuing system that will take you almost anywhere on the Net. Investors will be glad to learn that corporate filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, previously available on the Internet only by invoking various arcane commands, are now easy to get this way. Type gopher town.hall.org to get a menu of items, including the keyword-searchable SEC database (known as Edgar), as well as a new section containing U.S. patents and trademarks.

For more general information, type gopher marvel.loc.gov. If you don’t have gopher, type telnet marvel.loc.gov and use marvel as the log-in. The marvel gopher can help you access government data on topics ranging from aerospace to weather, including U.S. Census Bureau data, job openings and federal assistance programs. Marvel and other gophers also offer the Library of Congress catalogue.

Another good resource is the Commerce Department’s Economic Bulletin Board, which can be reached by typing telnet ebb.stat-usa.gov and logging in as guest. If you lack Internet access, just use your modem to dial (202) 482-2584. You can browse through hundreds of economic indicators, some of them updated daily.