Hello Gemini

2023-03-01

This is my first foray into the Gemini protocol. I will use this space to post some ramblings about general tech topics that I enjoy diving into in my free time, because somehow my back isn't yet croocked enough from all the sitting by the screen. That's a joke by the way, we all use stand up desks and balance boards nowadays and I will still run out the door to catch some sun every chance I get.

What is Gemini

The Gemini project defines itself as:

> A new internet protocol which:

> * Is heavier than gopher

> * Is lighter than the web

> * Will not replace either

> * Strives for maximum power to weight ratio

> * Takes user privacy very seriously

Source

"Heavier than gopher" If you are like me, reading gopher might bring the mascot of the Go programming language to the forefront of your mind and you might be confused as to why anyone would think that weight comparing against a friendly small rodent would be useful.

Gopher here refers to another communication protocol that's been around since 1991 (for reference http was started by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, and Gemini is more recent at 2019). Wikipedia defines it as a communication protocol that has the following goals:

> * A file-like hierarchical arrangement that would be familiar to users.

> * A simple syntax.

> * A system that can be created quickly and inexpensively.

> * Extensibility of the file system metaphor; allowing addition of searches for example.

So you can probably think of it as simple text files flying around.

"Is lighter than the web" Referring to the http protocol and all of its baggage, I pictured the slowest rendering, most ad ridden, darkest patterned cookie banner having web page my bruised imagination could conjure, shuddered and moved along.

"Will not replace either" I found this to be a healthy perspective and understanding of the ecosystem, validating that there are different protocols for different people and use cases instead of trying to establish itself as the end all be all of everything that came before. I also interpret it as the protocol wanting to stay true to its nature instead of allowing scope creep to bloat it over time.

"Strives for maximum power to weight ratio" Do more with less.

"Takes user privacy very seriously" A common criticism I've seen of the protocol so fat is that it uses TLS to encrypt its communication over the network and this makes client and server implementations more complex compared to plain text Gopher. However I've recently become more aware of the importance of maintaining my privacy. Companies have lunched on our data far too long and recent AI advancements enable those same companies to derive things we might not even conciously know about ourselves. Not to speak of abusive governments or authorities.

Want to join?

So if like me you've also found these concepts interesting and find yourself curious enough to also dive in you'll find a set of useful links below:

Gemini Project home page

The Gemtext markup language

A cross-platform gui client for browsing gemini files