💾 Archived View for jsreed5.org › log › 2021 › 202111 › 20211106-heterogeneous-logs.gmi captured on 2021-12-04 at 18:04:22. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
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Gemini, being a text-based protocol, doesn't leave space for flashy CSS sheets or eye-grabbing Javascript forms--but it doesn't require users to follow strict formatting guidelines either. Users are given a few minimal parsing conventions in the form of gemtext, and what else they do with their text is up to them.
I've noticed that most people build the actual pages of their logs using very different styles. Some just put paragraphs of plain text and leave it at that. Others focus on organization with headers and subheaders. Many put links at the bottom of their log pages--some even put one link for each directory level above the current page. Some include a post date, some include a last-modified date, some contain both, some contain neither. Some people even deploy full comment systems or automatically list backlinks.
This variety in log management is exciting for me to see. Different layouts are indicative of different mindsets and different goals with Gemini, and I see all sorts of organization methods that are quite clever. Different post layouts give me visual cues that I'm visiting one capsule versus another, similar to how houses with the same floorplan will have different furniture. And the freedom to add those personal touches makes visiting the capsule a more intimate, human-centric experience.
I hope diversity in capsule design remains a prominent feature of Gemini. Standards and guidelines are helpful, but free expression is what makes spaces have soul. And in my experience, Gemini is bursting with soul.
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[Last updated: 2021-11-06]