gemini is a rather simple internet protocol that is heavier than gopher but lighter than the web aims not to replace either. It’s designed to get rid of the bloat of the modern web (tracking, ads, all kind of embedded shenanigans, …) by making the protocol so simple, that a whole class of trackers cannot work. Consequently the user experience is also simplified and I think this a good thing to have. Because of this it’s often referred to as part of the “small web”.
If you are like me and sometimes annoyed by the growing enshittification of the internet then this might be interesting for you. Gemini as protocol and as environment does not try to replace the web or has ambitions to ever do that. It’s rather a re-invention of it on a simple basis, that any modest hacker can work with it. The protocol specification is readable, and so simple, that you can write your own gemini server and browser in a weekend. I know because I did (at least a server) - and if I can do it, then so can you!
For me the appeal of gemini is that it has a strong focus on simplicity and text. Gemini pages do not wish or can battle in the contest of visual appealing. The visual representation of the gemtext is handled by the client, so that every website roughly looks the same. Amazing old things like ASCII-art are a thing and I’m browsing it mostly for the content, not for the appeal. And that is nice.
Gemini is by far not large enough to replace the typical internet needs. There is no big search engine, most of your services won’t be there (and can’t be) and I’m yet to find a single online shop or something. But that’s not the purpose - remember it does not try to replace the modern web. For me it’s the “outdoors of the internet” - it’s a nice and calm place, rather unpopular and only sparly populated, yet somehow new and exciting so that it triggers a certain feeling of adventure and exploration in me.
Long story short - If you are a bit nerdy person who likes to explore new things, gemini is nice, and you should have a look at it.
# How and where to start
You start by using the amazing lagrange client (or amfora if you like the terminal or whatever you prefer).
- geminispace.info/ is a Gemini Search Engine.
- geminispace.info/known-hosts lists all known hosts to the Gemini Search Engine
- feldspaten.org - my own gemini capsule, because of course 🙂
And one personal recommendation that I like in particular is cosmic.voyage - A platform for micro-sci-fi stories.