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diff --git a/content/entry/gemini-appreciation-entry.md b/content/entry/gemini-appreciation-entry.md index 5c44f63..2cb85f3 100644 --- a/content/entry/gemini-appreciation-entry.md +++ b/content/entry/gemini-appreciation-entry.md @@ -2,16 +2,15 @@ title: "Gemini Appreciation Entry" date: 2022-04-26T00:00:00 draft: false -makerefs: false --- -I said I'd make an entry about Gemini[1]. This is that entry. +I said I'd make an entry about [Gemini](https://gemini.circumlunar.space/). This is that entry. # Gemini vs Web If you're reading this on the Web, then you might not be familiar with what Gemini is. Gemini is an alternative to the Web. It's similar to the Web, but more secure and private with far fewer features. Now you might think "Why would you want to use something with less features?". Well for one, it doesn't lend itself to commercialization, which instantly eliminates almost all the bullshit you find on the Web. Gemini has no ads, no popups, no paywalls, no commercials, it's non-addictive, you're never asked to sign up, and nobody tries to sell you anything. Overall it's a more pleasant browsing experience. -By comparison, the Web is practically unusable in freedom and privacy. Instead of telling you about it, I found this great website which accurately depicts the modern Web browsing experience. It's called How I Experience The Web Today[2]. +By comparison, the Web is practically unusable in freedom and privacy. Instead of telling you about it, I found this great website which accurately depicts the modern Web browsing experience. It's called [How I Experience The Web Today](https://how-i-experience-web-today.com). I have to point out this comparison I'm making between Gemini and the Web is apples to oranges. It's not fair. The Web fulfills far more use cases than Gemini ever will. There's a reason it's so popular and Gemini isn't. But in some sense, Gemini's lack of features is what's appealing about it. Gemini is minimalist. The Web is overwhelming. But I don't want to spend this entire entry comparing Gemini to the Web. It deserves its own independent evaluation. @@ -20,16 +19,16 @@ To use Gemini, you can download a Gemini client, also known as a Gemini browser. Now that you know how to access Gemini, let's talk about what's on there. In a single word, text. That's all you'll find on Gemini. A whole bunch of text. You can find other types of media, but they won't be displayed inline. So you get what you'd expect with a text-only, non-commercial Web-like protocol. You get gemlogs (the equivalent of Weblogs) talking about people's personal lives, philosophy, poetry, ramblings, ascii art, and of course, technology. -The organization resembles that of the early Web. Search engines exist, but they don't seem to be the primary way people find things. It's mainly through Gemini communities like Flounder[3] and Geminauts linking to other Geminaut's capsules. It's common for Geminauts to make lists of recommended capsules for readers to explore, with a few centralized hubs and aggregators linking to many capsules. Thus it seems reasonable to assume Gemini resembles a small-world network[4]. +The organization resembles that of the early Web. Search engines exist, but they don't seem to be the primary way people find things. It's mainly through Gemini communities like [Flounder](//flounder.online) and Geminauts linking to other Geminaut's capsules. It's common for Geminauts to make lists of recommended capsules for readers to explore, with a few centralized hubs and aggregators linking to many capsules. Thus it seems reasonable to assume Gemini resembles a [small-world network](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small-world_network). -The small-worldiness of Gemini reminds me very much of Neocities[5], which you should definitely check out if you never have before. If you're like me though and you find the Web overwhelming, Neocities is even more than your average website. That's why I can't spend too long browsing around on there, whereas I can spend hours on Gemini and not mentally tire out. +The small-worldiness of Gemini reminds me very much of [Neocities](https://neocities.org/browse), which you should definitely check out if you never have before. If you're like me though and you find the Web overwhelming, Neocities is even more than your average website. That's why I can't spend too long browsing around on there, whereas I can spend hours on Gemini and not mentally tire out. There's some non-English capsules out there that are good to read if you're trying to learn the language. Gemini is a good way to find others who are open to discussion and collaboration. Most Geminauts put their email on their capsule. Every Geminaut I've sent emails to or received emails from has been friendly. # The Medium is the Message Gemini reminds me of this phrase coined by Canadian communication theorist Marshall McLuhan: -> "The medium is the message".[6] +> ["The medium is the message".](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message) What he meant was that most of us focus entirely on the contents of the message. We forget about the communication medium in which we encounter it. This is to say that the same message in a different communication medium isn't really the same message. The medium may in fact be more important than the message itself. @@ -99,12 +98,3 @@ Gemini's simplicity itself isn't its appeal. Simplicity alone doesn't make somet As we move forward, creating new mediums of communication for people to explore, we should ask ourselves, "What sort of interactions do we want to promote?". Do we want to promote addiction and reactivity, or kindness and understanding? The choice is ours. - - -Link(s): -[1: Gemini](https://gemini.circumlunar.space/) -[2: How I Experience The Web Today](https://how-i-experience-web-today.com) -[3: Flounder](//flounder.online) -[4: Small-world Network](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small-world_network) -[5: Neocities](https://neocities.org/browse) -[6: The Medium is the Message](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message) |