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Gemini shows us how even the *smallest* barrier for entry can keep all the worst parts of the Web out. Gemini isn't hard to access; hell, I'm posting from a smartphone right now, but even the smallest barrier (caring) keeps this space pleasant and interesting (if sometimes a bit quiet). Sometimes gatekeeping is good, it turns out.
8 months ago · 👍 steve_dracula, smokey, martin, eph, adou2, prk
@sirwilburthefirst partly, you're right. But the culture is, like I said, a barrier, so Gemini's size will stay smallish partly because of it. · 8 months ago
@sirwilburthefirst Size is only one of many factors keeping Gemini from becoming like the web. The focus on text and personal websites is another big one. · 8 months ago
@adou2
With respect, I disagree. The culture is the culture because of the size. The bigger Gemini becomes the more it reflects the outside world's culture.
Given scale I see no reason why Gemini wouldn't devolve along the same path as the web. Consider a doubling or trippling in growth. What stops Browser X from adding a "GemScript" feature to text/gemini in order to better compete?
As scale increases incentives change, unfortunately. · 8 months ago
@adou2 a lot of cultural stuff is available, free, open. There is still a time-based entry cost and some deliberate sidestepping required. One can't just "know" out of the blue that Gemeni exists, what a TLS certificate is, how DNS works, why it is "like the web but not quite". Most web users don't even know the difference between their device, a web server, a search engine, a browser, an URL. It's all a big "internet-thingy" that just works. Even asking if anything else can exist is a huge first step only few are willing to take · 8 months ago
Cultural barrier it is. I see some pattern with some alternative cultural items (be it networks, books, music, language, etc.) that can slowly grow an thrive with a small community but sometimes get swarmed by mass media and global access. I remember when LotR had a pretty damn huge entry barrier (1000 pages); talking about it was a big nerd alert. For 20 years now its entry barrier has been pretty low (well, ~10h movie time) and the next big thing about it is a tv show. Success comes at a price. · 8 months ago
I wrote a gemlog entry about that last year:
gemini://tilde.club/~adou/gemlog/sad.gmi
My position is that the barrier is not technical but cultural: we are here because we have a mind inclined to be critical of technologies (but not only) and to be curious about small solutions (that's why constructed languages are popular too here, IMO). That cultural barrier is what makes us a community, and I think it has nothing to do with elitism or gatekeeping. Gemini's open to everyone, everybody is welcome but one has to have the *will* to come to enter. · 8 months ago
@smokey I definitely agree with that. It's similar on other FOSS spaces such as the Fediverse as well. I'm sure we all have other interests in common as well; we just have to.. talk more about them, lol. · 8 months ago
The barrier to entry of gemini is hobbiest level knowledge of computers and networking. A persons ability to understand what a protocol is and more importantly care about alternative ones is the defining factor. On one hand as you say it is benifical for filtering out the nasty parts of the web. A price paid for that is under-diversification of interest among gemini users. An echo-chamber of developers and FOSS supporters talking about not much besides computers and programming.
I would like to see more diversity in discussion and 'content'. · 8 months ago