Subj : Re: Gemini protocol
To   : poindexter FORTRAN
From : Ben Collver
Date : Tue Apr 09 2024 08:26:19

  Re: Re: Gemini protocol
  By: poindexter FORTRAN to n2qfd on Tue Apr 09 2024 06:51 am

PF> the markup language is easier than Gopher

Techically, gopher doesn't have a markup language.  Type 0 is plain text
and type 1 is a directory in TSV format.  Geomyidea is a gopher server
that supports gophers: (SSL) protocol plus a "convenience" markup for
hand writing type 1 directories.

PF> I'm hard-pressed to figure out why I wouldn't just use HTML and skip on
PF> the javascript or any of the cruft that made web pages huge. *maybe*

The browser scene is compromised by corporate interest, all the way down to
the standards bodies.  All mainstream browsers push telemetry, HTTPS-only,
and bloat such as WebGL.  Those who don't support this bloat are considered
obsolete.  Many indie sites use clownflare for DoS protection, and this
injects JS dependencies.

Even contrarian sites like archive.org have gone HTTPS-only and JS-only.

Part of the allure of smolnet protocols for me is not the technical
stuff but the culture/philosophy behind them.  They do a better job
of following RFC8890.

By the way, gopher and gemini are crawled.  Here's a web-based(!)
search engine that gives results for both at the same time.

https://gopher.emacs.ch/

One thing i dislike about gemini is that it is SSL-only.  I have not
been able to find SSL clients that run on 16-bit hardware.  I do not
need to protect my weather forecast from a MiTM attack.  I hope never
to do any anarchy, banking, or buying on the smol Outernet, so i am
comfortable treating it like HAM radio: no encryption.

For others who feel the same, there is a proxy to view gemini content
in gopher clients:

gopher://cosmarmot.space/1/
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
 * Origin: The Fool's Quarter, fqbbs.synchro.net (21:1/149)

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