uggly VS amfora

I first came across Gemini after making my own HTTP alternative TUI-over-the-wire protocol (uggly)[1].

Gemini has the same motives as I had when I started, but I didn't switch to it for all the same criticisms that are mentioned in the article (e.g. TOFU, no visualization support, no stream/data support, no cookies for login support, etc).

I'm really glad to see that the desire for a simpler protocol is still going strong though.

[1] - https://github.com/rendicott/uggly

I'm actually working on this. Component based over the wire TUI system. It's in a decent alpha state but I want to code and host some more sample sites before I start sharing a ton.

Protocol: https://github.com/rendicott/uggly

Client with gif demo: https://github.com/rendicott/uggly-client

Gemini is a joke. The main proponents like Drew Devault chuck a tantrum when browsers allow users to optionally show favicons https://github.com/makew0rld/amfora/issues/199

https://github.com/makew0rld/amfora/issues/199

You'll need a different web browser since Firefox and Chrome based Browsers all only support HTTP/HTTPS afaik. I suggest using deedum if you're on Android, if you're on windows I suggest installing this browser, it's a more or less simple graphical Browser written in C# so it should work. Just download the release zip and extract, you can probably go from there., if you're on Linux, I suggest Amfora it's a text based browser but it has served me well.

And that's the caveat with SourceHut and the current discussion around it. While I respect Drew and his work, he isn't exactly the most approachable person in OSS.

If you and several other people happen to have a hard requirement for a specific feature that he (or his buddy Simon) don't see fit for, you won't get that feature, even if you volunteer to implement and maintain it. The only thing you're left with is basically to fork SourceHut, host it yourself and maintain your feature all by yourself, dealing with continuously patching a very much still-in-development (and therefore ever changing) software. That is something you're probably not going to do, especially considering SourceHut's architecture and way of doing things.

SourceHut isn't exactly extensible/pluggable and hosting it as a one man show or even a small company becomes a huge PITA, as soon as you diverge from the holy grail that is Drew's way of doing things (Alpine, no containers, no good config management, no easy way to scale things, and the dedication to invest your blood and tears into maintaining this thing).

Hence I really cannot comprehend the current trend that is "let's all dump GitHub for this, and that, and SourceHut". So far, SourceHut really hasn't made an effort to prove itself worthy of the influx of OSS projects. And while I do see Drew commenting here, reassuring folks he won't ban anyone over any internet disagreement, reading the public mailing lists of the SourceHut repos doesn't really show much of a welcoming behavior either. I mean, he's the person behind what has become one of the most popular Gemini servers, and as soon as that was the case, he began threatening client apps to arbitrary block them for doing things that don't align with his values (in this case, [showing a favicon](https://github.com/makeworld-the-better-one/amfora/issues/19...)). And the cabal of elite internet Amish, that have been on SourceHut since its early days and that makes a large portion of the platform, aren't that different either.

I do agree with GitHub being the wrong place for OSS projects, but I don't agree with SourceHut being the right one. At least for as long as it doesn't become obvious that its founder and the community around him has changed and started to genuinely appreciate people for the work they're doing, regardless of their own ideological beliefs.

I use Sway and I pay to host my code on SourceHut. I admire Drew and I think he is making invaluable contributions to FOSS.

That said, he has a history of... rash? impulsive? reactions to situations that might have been resolved with less bad blood if he had stepped away from the keyboard until he was less upset. The classic example is when he got upset about people wanting to unofficially add favicons to the Gemini protocol, and he threatened to blackhole any IP address which requests a favicon. https://github.com/makeworld-the-better-one/amfora/issues/19...

I do not know if there is some specific recent event triggering vitriol, but the way this post is written, it sounds like Drew thinks it is resulting from less recent actions like the favicon threat.

In Drew's defense, he has made (limited) apologies and I do believe he is trying to do better. https://drewdevault.com/2021/04/26/Cryptocurrency-is-a-disas... has a note at the bottom, saying:

> I realize that my blog has been a source of a lot of negativity in the past, and I regret how harsh I've been with some of the projects I've criticised. I will make my arguments by example going forward: if I think we can do better, I'll do it better, instead of criticising those who are just earnestly trying their best.

But it is also true that many people will not be quick to forgive him, and some people never will. It will take him time to undo the negative image he has created with some people, but after seeing Linus Torvald's positive changes, I am optimistic that Drew can change for the better if he wants to, and help create a welcoming community for everyone. If he doesn't give up first.

amfora gemini client

Should be able to run a basic gemini client just fine, maybe even amfora?

I'd start by checking out Antenna:

https://portal.mozz.us/gemini/warmedal.se/~antenna/

It's an aggregator of sorts, but with a bit of a twist.

Clients, for the terminal I recommend Amfora

https://github.com/makeworld-the-better-one/amfora

and Lagrange is a great GUI client

https://github.com/skyjake/lagrange

Communication, there's an informal way of addressing other gemlogs using 'RE: '. It's fraught with issues, as I have discussed. There's IRC (#gemini on tilde.chat) and Usenet (comp.infosystems.gemini) now that the mailing list (itself a potent source of drama) has gone to the great bitbucket in the sky.<p><a href="https://portal.mozz.us/gemini/gerikson.com/gemlog/gemini-sux/Re-re-re-considered-harmful.gmi" rel="nofollow">https://portal.mozz.us/gemini/gerikson.com/gemlog/gemini-sux...</a>