Spool Five

#Gemini

Counting Capsules


A quick look at some stats about gemini capsules.

For those that aren’t aware, gemini is a largely text-based, minimal internet protocol. It is part of what is sometimes called the “smolnet”, an alternative to the mainstream web.

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Gemini Chess

Jun 7, 2024 - 600 Words

I’ve had a go at making a two-player chess game for Gemini. If you want to try it out it is available at the link below. There is also a version of wordle there, though I made this before I realised that there is already a much better wordle clone available on gemini, Wordo.

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OFFLFIRSOCH 2024 - Flights

Mar 26, 2024 - 300 Words

In response to Solerpunk’s 2024 OFFLine-FIRst SOftware CHallenge, I wrote a command line script for looking up flight ‘information’ offline.

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Gemtext and Image

Apr 14, 2022 - 2800 Words

One of the most noticeable things about Gemini is that it is text-based. Sure, it can support images but, depending on the client, these are mostly left hidden. Gemini gains a lot of its identity from this emphasis on text. One of the first things you’ll notice if you compare an average web page and a page on Gemini is that one is filled with images and highly visual, while the other is just a wall of text.

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Auto-Making a Gemini Index

Apr 11, 2021 - 500 Words

A few days ago on Mastodon, I came across a very useful toot by Fixato. He had provided a comprehensive shell command for updating you TLS certificates in light of the recent update to the agate server. He also kindly helped me troubleshoot additional issues I had.

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Gemini Capsule Update

Mar 31, 2021 - 400 Words

Nothing much to report here. I updated the capsule structure to try make it more minimal and even easier to manage.

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Comitium and Gopher

Mar 21, 2021 - 400 Words

I’ve added a new ‘feed’ section to my capsule. It uses ‘comitium’ by alex/nytpu.

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Smolnet

Mar 20, 2021 - 600 Words

More on the alternative internet.
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Problems with Gemini 1

Feb 21, 2021 - 900 Words

Problems, in the best sense

Much of the Gemini ‘content’ I’ve found so far, at least, some of the most engaging and unique, centers on technical questions about Gemini itself - how to set it up, navigate it, write in it, etc. These questions are usually accompanied by musings on what we can then do with this new protocol or about what Gemini ‘means’. Neither the answers to the technical questions, nor the accompanying speculations, are fully concrete. This is because both how Gemini works and what it can do remain somewhat vague. Yes, the broad brush-strokes have been laid down, but the smaller details have yet to be filled in. This is not a bad thing at all. Gemini is still in its very early stages. Much of its appeal stems from its huge potential.

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Problems with Gemini 2

Feb 21, 2021 - 1000 Words

Part 1

A problem:

A corresponding idea:

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