going-flying.com gemini git repository
a617b846acb71691ad11c0d9a167a5a575a70b40 - Matthew Ernisse - 1595952119
new post, lol vfdsay
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore index f928b8d..d2082c5 100644 --- a/.gitignore +++ b/.gitignore @@ -1,2 +1,3 @@ +.DS_Store users/mernisse/atom.xml users/mernisse/*.gmi diff --git a/files/vfd-prompt.jpg b/files/vfd-prompt.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cb5150f Binary files /dev/null and b/files/vfd-prompt.jpg differ diff --git a/files/vfd-verks.jpg b/files/vfd-verks.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d36727e Binary files /dev/null and b/files/vfd-verks.jpg differ diff --git a/users/mernisse/articles/01.gmi b/users/mernisse/articles/01.gmi new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e55912f --- /dev/null +++ b/users/mernisse/articles/01.gmi @@ -0,0 +1,44 @@ +--- +Title: Internetting like it's 1998 again +Date: 07/28/2020 11:50 + +A long time ago I hooked up a small plastic box with three LEDs on it up to +the parallel port of my desktop computer. I wrote a small CGI program in +Turbo Pascal (of all things) that let a visitor to my web site turn on or +off any of the LEDs. This little box sat on my desk under my monitor so it +was an early and rudimentary way for people to say hello to me while I was +working away on the computer. I also had a small C program that lit up a +separate LED connected to the same parallel port that showed the status of my +dial-up Internet connection, if that helps date the period. + +=> /thoughts/WWWLEDSM.JPG The LED box! + +To me Gemini feels a lot like those days. A more innocent era of computing +teetering between the age of the BBS and the dawn of the 'world wide web'. In +that way it just feels natural to return to some of the tropes of that era, +so what you are looking at is a fusion of the modern and the past. On the +other side of the link below this paragraph you will find a CGI script written +in Python, executed inside a Docker container by Molly Brown, which is written +in Go. That Python script will make a HTTP connection over an IPSec VPN to a +machine which has a serial connection over USB to an Atmel ATmega32U4 and +ultimately will send your bytes to a Noritake itron VFD. Whatever you type +into the prompt will be displayed until someone else comes along and changes it. + +=> /cgi-bin/vfdsay.py Say Something + +There is no log, no webcam, no video stream. No way for me to know who sent +something and no other way to know what was sent to this little VFD than to be +sitting at the desk when it happens. For you dear reader, you have no way +of knowing that any of this does anything other than take your input and drop +it on the floor. I am essentially asking you to trust in me. + +=> /files/vfd-prompt.jpg Responding to the CGI prompt +=> /files/vfd-verks.jpg It works! + +Harkening back to a much more innocent era of computing, I am giving you, a +completely anonymous person on the other end of an un-knowable chain of Other +People's devices write access to a physical piece of glass sitting in my home. + +What could possibly go wrong? 😂 + +=> https://ssl.ub3rgeek.net/git/?p=microcode.git;a=tree;f=usb-vfd;hb=HEAD ATmega32U4 code diff --git a/vfd.gmi b/vfd.gmi deleted file mode 100644 index fa1875d..0000000 --- a/vfd.gmi +++ /dev/null @@ -1,15 +0,0 @@ -# Internetting like it's 1998 again -## Author: mernisse -## Date: 26/July/2020 - -A long time ago I hooked up a small plastic box with three LEDs on it up to the parallel port of my desktop computer. I wrote a small CGI program in Turbo Pascal (of all things) that let a visitor to my web site turn on or off any of the LEDs. This little box sat on my desk under my monitor so it was an early and rudimentary way for people to say hello to me while I was working away on the computer. - -=> /thoughts/WWWLEDSM.JPG - -To me Gemini feels a lot like those days. An innocent era of computing teetering between the BBS and the 'world wide web'. In that way it just feels natural to return to some of the tropes of that era, so what you are looking at is a fusion of the modern and the past. On the other side of the link below this paragraph you will interact with a CGI script written in Python, executed by Molly Brown, which is written in Go, running in a Docker container on a virtual machine. That Python script will make a HTTP connection over an IPSec VPN to a machine which will make a serial over USB connection to an Atmel ATmega32U4 and ultimately send your bytes to a Noritake itron VFD. Whatever you type into the prompt will be displayed until someone else comes along and changes it. - -=> /cgi-bin/vfdsay.py Say Something - -There is no log, no webcam, no video stream, no way for me to know who or what is being sent to this little VFD other than to be sitting at the desk and notice it. No way for you to know it was sent other than to trust me, dear reader. Harkening back to a much more innocent era of computing, I am giving you, a completely anonymous person on the other end of an un-knowable chain of Other People's devices write access to a physical piece of glass sitting in my home. - -=> https://ssl.ub3rgeek.net/git/?p=microcode.git;a=tree;f=usb-vfd;hb=HEAD ATmega32U4 code