Six Years of Gemini

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Getting value from Gemini: tools and workflows

  • Several commenters enjoy Gemini as a calmer “second internet” alongside HTTP, not a replacement.
  • Recommended clients: Lagrange, Kristall, Nyxt (with Gemini support), Emacs+Elpher; Firefox extension “Geminize” was also mentioned.
  • Discovery/aggregation tools: Antenna, Cosmos, Capcom, various feed aggregators and “tinylog” hubs.
  • Gateways like NewsWaffle convert HTTP pages (e.g., RSS feeds, HN) into gemtext for more readable consumption.
  • Some host their primary blogs/gemlogs on Gemini (often with HTTP proxies) because deployment is trivial (just text files + simple servers).

Social, feeds, and interoperability

  • There are native Gemini social networks: Station (non‑federated) and tootik (federates via ActivityPub).
  • Gemini has a subscription/feeds companion spec; many clients support following capsules.
  • Various “hub” capsules and aggregators function like webrings or timelines.
  • Some see potential in combining Gemini/Titan with ActivityPub or building “minimalist fediverse” alternatives.

Motivations and philosophy

  • Fans see Gemini as:
    • An intentional, low-friction refuge from ads, tracking, SEO, AI slop, and engagement optimization.
    • A cultural filter: participation requires effort (new client, new protocol), avoiding “Eternal September.”
    • A creativity‑through‑constraints space: text‑first, simple hypertext, human‑scale communities.
  • Some explicitly like that it’s niche and not trying to “win” against the web.

Critiques and counterpoints

  • Strong pushback that HTTP+HTML already solve these problems if paired with:
    • Better browsers, reader modes, extensions, JS/CSS blocking, or text‑first design.
    • Simpler design manifestos and “small web” conventions over HTTP.
  • Skeptics argue:
    • Gemini duplicates HTTP poorly (subset semantics, gemtext vs Markdown) while sacrificing reach and capabilities.
    • It addresses “annoyances” but not systemic issues like surveillance capitalism or platform monopolies.
    • It risks becoming a hobbyist toy framed as a serious solution.

Protocol and ecosystem debates

  • Design choices praised: tiny spec, line‑oriented gemtext, no cookies/user‑agents, mandatory TLS, non‑extensibility.
  • Design choices criticized: mandatory TLS (hurts retro/low‑spec use), custom gemtext vs (sub)set Markdown, no images in spec, very limited feature set.
  • Parallel protocols (Titan, Spartan, others) show pressure to add PUT/updates or drop TLS, raising “will it just drift toward HTTP anyway?” questions.
  • Content remains small, tech/FOSS‑heavy, and text‑centric; some users left due to narrow topic range or perceived community preachiness, others value the cozy, raw, anonymous feel.