Jyotiraditya

the Gemini Protocol as a potential solution to modern web bloat

the problem with the modern web

The modern web (html, css, js and frameworks) is good: it has simplified building complex frontends (apps like youtube, twitter, github, etc) but as a side effect, this ecosystem causes bloat. The bloat occurs in two places:

  1. In web browsers, as they have to implement the never ending web standard. Additionally, they have to account for tech-illiterate users and malicious actors on the server side by implementing otherwise unnecessary features (like process and core isolation) which again cause unnecessary memory usage.
  2. In the web pages themselves: The standard overloads developers with easy to implement features (which are a good thing), allowing lazy businesses to make unoptimized websites/webapps. Also, because the abstractions (both in HTML/CSS itself and through JS frameworks like React) make it simple to build websites, this will allow vibecoders to produce AI slop.

the Gemini Protocol

The Gemini Protocol is an extremely simple communication protocol for sharing documents. Only documents and with extremely simple markup. No styling and no scripts. The styling of the pages (when rendered) will be upto the client and user preference.

Because the protocol is so lightweight, the clients will be lightweight too, and actual rendering of the pages will also not clog up all your RAM.

It obviously doesn't seek to replace the modern web, as the modern web has areas where it shines (interactive web apps). From their FAQ

Gemini is not intended to replace either Gopher or the web, but to co-exist peacefully alongside them as one more option which people can freely choose to use if it suits them. In the same way that some Gopher users serve the same content via both Gopher and the web, people can "bihost" or "trihost" content on whichever combination of protocols they think offer the best match to their technical, philosophical and aesthetic requirements and those of their intended audience.

trying the Gemini Protocol

Get a client. I use:

Here is a more extensive list of clients - including TUI clients and Python libraries.

Then, try searching something on tlgs.one (you will need a gemini client to open this link. Or, you can try it out on you regular web browser on this html version)