Keeping Gemini Amateur

Easy gets you into the situation we are in right now.

=>gemini://tilde.team/~tomasino/journal/20211103-making-gemini-easy.gmi

=>gemini://marginalia.nu/log/35-keeping-gemini-difficult.gmi

Follow the logic of tomasino's argument to it's ultimate conclusion. Someone who knows nothing wants to be on Gemini. Never mind that they can't cogently explain why they want to be on Gemini - it's because some friend said it's cool. OK.

So they get this easy app, click File/New, and are greeted with a 'Create a new account' dialog, that lists a few providers. Who are the providers? Google, Microsoft and Facebook - if Gemini gains popularity with people who know nothing about it. Sure, for a couple of years it will be tildes and flounders, who will get tired of answering dumb questions for nothing. Some will start asking for donations, and when that fails, insert ads. Newcomers are used to ads anyway. Eventually the bigger corporations will steamroll everyone in their path as usual, and it's game over. Because it costs large players nothing - their toilet paper budget is bigger than anything you or I can dream about.

I don't think we want that.

Amateur Gemini

Latin word 'amare' means 'to love'; 'amatis' means [you plural] 'love'. So-called "professionals" want you to think amateur implies "inferior" - that is how they get to charge you money. Amateurs do it for love, not money. I am proud to be an amateur in the Gemini community.

Amateur communities are often extremely sophisticated. While professionals go to meetings, take long breaks, go to conventions and do their billing and bookkeeping, amateurs concentrate on the subject of their love, and make it better. Look at amateur pilots, amateur radio, or 6502.org for examples of highly organized and capable amateur communities.

In fact, we do not want professionals plying their trade here. That implies funding, searches for revenue streams, and other capitalist shit that will make our lives horrible.

Don't worry about 'easy onboarding'

If someone can't be bothered to spend a couple of hours figuring out what Gemini is and why they want to be here, there is always Facebook. Newcomers should spend some time reading and adjusting to the Gemini culture, not blabbing about their opinions immediately upon arrival. If they can't figure out how to post after a few days of lurking, it's probably better that way.

Make no mistake - I am not saying that you need to build your own server to be on Gemini! There is plenty of room for flounder-like services to let people write without too much tech. But is it too much to ask them to do a search for one of these services and sign up before posting?

Please, keep Gemini amateur

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