new allocates zeroed storage for a new item or type whatever and then returns a pointer to it. I don’t think it really matters on if you use new vs short variable declaration := type{} it’s mostly just preference
As for pointer2, the pointer2 variable holds its own data, when you do
// initializing a zeroed 'passport in memory'
pointerp2 := new(passport)
// setting the field Name to whatever
pointerp2.Name = "Anotherscott"
new allocates zeroed storage in memory and returns a pointer to it, so in short, new will return a pointer to whatever you’re making that is why pointerp2 returns &{ Anotherscott }
You mainly want to use pointers when you’re passing a variable around that you need to modify (but be careful of data races use mutexes or channels If you need to read and write to a variable from different functions)
A common method people use instead of new is just short dec a pointer type:
blah := &passport{}
blah is now a pointer to type passport
You can see in this playground:
http://play.golang.org/p/9OuM2Kqncq
When passing a pointer, you can modify the original value. When passing a non pointer you can’t modify it. That is because in go variables are passed as a copy. So in the iDontTakeAPointer function it is receiving a copy of the tester struct then modifying the name field and then returning, which does nothing for us as it is modifying the copy and not the original.