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An alternative decentralized internet for sharing text and media: The Gemini Protocol (geminiprotocol.net)

submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org to c/buyfromeu@feddit.org

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It is similar to the old gopher: text files, links, and images form a hypertext optimized for reading. Text is formatted like Markdown - but even simpler.

Clients display text, like an eBook, or images / media.

Since it does not use "addictive by design" UI elements, like feeds, timelines, likes and upvotes, colorful and distracting elements, endless scrolling, as well as comments that invite trolling, it feels a lot calmer.

Servers can run on a PC or Raspberry Pi which needs half a Watt of power. No FAANG companies needed. No expert knowledge needed - not more difficult than running a file sharing client.

I think it is the right thing for defense of democracy and sharing your voice in the digital realm.

Edit: If you see comments here which kinda miss the point, appeal to emotions, have faulty logic, or depart from entirely incorrect assumptions: Please keep in mind that big US tech companies can't say "that's bad, how will we shovel money with this?". Please use your critical thinking skills - they are much needed here!

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[–] lime@feddit.nu -1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

yes, and the values that gemini embodies are isolationism and conservatism by breaking away from the larger community, limiting contributors to the people who have the technical skills, and standardising on an intentionally incompatible version of a 30 year old protocol.

[–] HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

You seem to assume that intelligent humans are only capable of posting stuff on Xitter and Facebook.

Writing text in Gemini format is simpler than Markdown, which is what people are using here.

Reading Gemini context only requires a client, for example an Android app like Rosy Crow, or using a Web gateway, like https://gemini.tildeverse.org/ , or https://portal.mozz.us/gemini/mozz.us/ .

Publishing a Gemini blog requires at the minimum only to get an account at a pubnix server (such as the tildeverse servers above).

If one wants to self-host it, one needs only to set up a Rasberry Pi running the server program. The complexity is about the same as running a file sharing client.

Yet some people want to frame it as if the only way to participate in the Internet is to use Facebook and Twitter.

[–] lime@feddit.nu 1 points 3 days ago

no, that's your reading of what i said.