December 21, 2020

Hello Gemini

I started playing around with Gemini tonight and have a small thing up and running!

What is Gemini?

According to its author, Gemini is a new application-level internet protocol for the distribution of arbitrary files, with some special consideration for serving a lightweight hypertext format which facilitates linking between files. I can tell you are excited already, but basically it is a stripped down version of a web page focused mostly on text. You can't use a web browser like Firefox or Chrome to visit a Gemini site though. For that you need a purpose built Gemini client. But fear not, for there is a list of such clients right here. Another way to view stuff that is normally served through Gemini is to use a proxy service like this.

Why Gemini?

Gemini is cool because it is a simple standard that can be implemented by a single individual. There is no tracking and no JavaScript to slow things down. It currently has a small but growing community around it.