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Re: Gemini Digest, Vol 25, Issue 4

1. Pete D. (peteyboy (a) SDF.ORG)


> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2021 00:58:24 +0200
> From: raingloom <raingloom@riseup.net>
> To: Andrew Singleton <singletona082@gmail.com>
> Cc: gemini@lists.orbitalfox.eu
> Subject: Re: [request][retro] Gemini clients for windows 95, DOS, etc
> Message-ID: <20210806005824.522b85c4@riseup.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
> 
> On Mon, 12 Jul 2021 23:56:32 +0000 (UTC)
> Andrew Singleton <singletona082@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> This is a sort of continuation of a prior thread I had made about the
>> least powerful hardware that could use Gemini.
>> 
>> I honestly feel bad about this as I have neither real hardware of the
>> era, nor do I have coding experience. However in theory Gemini would
>> be great for retro enthusiasts as it would give them something
>> compsritovely resource light while also being actively worked on.
>> 
>> Projects like The Old Web exist, and frankly make me smile as it
>> gives old hardware a way to Web, or at least explore the web that
>> was, somewhat natively. However I feel trying to force Big Web on
>> such old machines is 'solving' the square peg round hole problem with
>> a sledgehammer.
> Subject: Re: Anyone still using 16-32bit systems ?

> On Tue, 13 Jul 2021 11:51:29 +0000
> charliebrownau <charliebrownau@protonmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Gday
>> 
>> If anyone still has a working XT to PIII with Win9x
>> I would be amazed
>> 
>> The IDE, RLL, ISA and ATX PSU's would all be past its shelf life
>> 
>> Can we finally let 16 and 32bit finally die a peacefull death
>> 
>> FFS , you can get an Raspi, 2nd hand optiplex or even a 2nd hand 775
>> 2nd hand that could run Modern day 64bit (aliexpress sells those
>> cheap xeon 775s)
>> 
> 
> Not everyone can afford a new machine. No, not even the one you are
> thinking of.
> I've done some voluntary IT support for families near the poverty line
> in Szeged where they could just barely afford cheap used 32 bit laptops.
> There are many in worse situations. The anecdote I like to bring up is
> the girl who had to fill out a government form online on her
> second hand PSP so that she could have temporary housing, because
> that's all she had.
> If you think she doesn't deserve to connect to a website or gemini
> capsule, then you need to re-check your priorities.
> 
> (for context: Szeged is a decent sized city and an important education
> hub with many tech companies. and yet it still has poor people. i know,
> shocking.)


I'm struggling to understand how a gemini client would help the girl on 
the 2nd hand PSP. There is literally no usecase there for gemini to have 
helped.  We could donate money to her local library to have a public PC or 
something. And if you are talking about infrastructure issues with that, 
well, the 2nd hand PSP connected, so that problem was solved a different way.

Gemini doesn't/won't replace the WWW, nor will it make it more accessible 
to underpowered hardware. I guess this person could figure out a gopher 
client on some ancient hardware. Then what? Would the girl be able to 
apply for temporary housing using gopher? Gemini would be no different.

I get it, it's cool to be able to use old hardware to access modern 
things. I have a bunch of old computers in a rack in my basement, I 
understand the desire.


peteyboy@sdf.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.org

Link to individual message.

2. Almaember (almaember (a) disroot.org)

On 06/08/2021 21:23, Pete D. wrote:
> 
> I'm struggling to understand how a gemini client would help the girl on 
the 2nd hand PSP. There is literally no usecase there for gemini to have 
helped.  We could donate money to her local library to have a public PC or 
something. And if you are talking about infrastructure issues with that, 
well, the 2nd hand PSP connected, so that problem was solved a different way.
> 
> Gemini doesn't/won't replace the WWW, nor will it make it more 
accessible to underpowered hardware. I guess this person could figure out 
a gopher client on some ancient hardware. Then what? Would the girl be 
able to apply for temporary housing using gopher? Gemini would be no different.
> 
> I get it, it's cool to be able to use old hardware to access modern 
things. I have a bunch of old computers in a rack in my basement, I 
understand the desire.
> 
> 
> peteyboy@sdf.org
> SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.org

Also, I'm pretty sure you can fill those forms in the nearest government 
office. (is that the word?) Being Hungarian myself (which is the country 
where Szeged is, unless there's another Szeged somewhere else) I had never 
encountered anything similar that couldn't be done in-person, or through 
the phone (for which you can use a public phone).

-- Unless you're replying to me on the Gemini mailing list,
reply to almaember@almaember.com instead.

Website: https://almaember.com/
Gemini capsule: gemini://almaember.com/
IRC: almaember on Libera.chat and tilde.chat

Link to individual message.

3. The Doctor (drwho (a) virtadpt.net)

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

On Friday, August 6th, 2021 at 16:33, Almaember <almaember@disroot.org> wrote:

> Also, I'm pretty sure you can fill those forms in the nearest government
> office. (is that the word?) Being Hungarian myself (which is the country
> where Szeged is, unless there's another Szeged somewhere else) I had
> never encountered anything similar that couldn't be done in-person, or
> through the phone (for which you can use a public phone).

Not necessarily.  One of the reasons services in the States have moved to the "you can
only fill forms out online" model is because it's far cheaper than maintaining office
space staffed with personnel who manage physical paperwork, plus the cost of printing,
storing, archiving, and managing those dead trees goes away.

There is also the highly tone-deaf "apps fix everything, let's make smartphone apps"
attitude.

The Doctor [412/724/301/703/415/510]
WWW: https://drwho.virtadpt.net/
The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born. Now is the 
time of monsters.

Link to individual message.

4. Almaember (almaember (a) disroot.org)

On 07/08/2021 19:32, The Doctor wrote:
> Not necessarily.  One of the reasons services in the States have moved to the "you can
> only fill forms out online" model is because it's far cheaper than maintaining office
> space staffed with personnel who manage physical paperwork, plus the cost of printing,
> storing, archiving, and managing those dead trees goes away.
> 
> There is also the highly tone-deaf "apps fix everything, let's make smartphone apps"
> attitude.
That might be true for the US, I wouldn't say it's true here. Although 
yes, forms get digitized, you can still fill them out in an office. The ID 
cards can't be easily validated by computers either, so...

I know, that last time I had to do govt things (e.g. get a new ID), I had 
to go in the office and do it there. There's an office for every district, 
I think, in bigger ones probably multiple.

So at least in this particular case, you can do everything in person. 
Although the situation might not be the same in other countries.

-- Unless you're replying to me on the Gemini mailing list,
reply to almaember@almaember.com instead.

Website: https://almaember.com/
Gemini capsule: gemini://almaember.com/
IRC: almaember on Libera.chat and tilde.chat

Link to individual message.

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