[SPECS text/gemini] Heading lines proposal

[Mad Ogrit]

Requiring a space for structural formatting seems wise. I don't believe the
proposal implied that navigational formatting (=>) would require one.

But regarding quotes, although the > prefix may be visually familiar from
text threads its use is inconsistent at best with regard to space before or
after. Requiring a space will definitely break multiply-nested multi-line
things (or make them redundant).

Which brings me to... If quotes are only meant for a single depth, but
represent semantic rather than structural formatting (sourced content,
could reasonably have an author or other meaningful attribution), would it
make more sense to treat them like preformatted lines (line toggled) and
retire the prefix entirely?

If they are really only for visual distinction... Well I guess I don't
think they ought to be.

So as long as you're talking about updating the spec...


Context:

Hi! Long time observer (nearly a week!) first time poster. I hadn't seen
deedum when I first began using my enthusiasm for both classic gopher and a
lighter better secure-er web to begin writing dart/flutter libraries for
Gemini.

I'm a very low vision user and this approach to content is very welcome.
It's been a fun exercise and there still seems to be room for a formal
library on pubget and so forth, and I am imagining a kind conversational
model where browsing and contributing are possible within the same
experience. Anywho...

Things I noticed in this process where I've tried to include robust edge
case tests and simulate workflows that may be common to streamline
anybody's ability to create content:
*  I actually do use # without spaces for headers but nobody else seems to
* Quoted content when visually distinct has more in common with
preformatted content in that, while it can be wrapped and flowed, you're
often quoting something by copy-pasting at which point the original layout
can be relevant
* Many things one might paste with one level of quote include multiple
levels with hideous line breaking
* And so realized I couldn't find many uses for > where ``` wasn't also at
least useful.
* So I began tinkering with a language param for pre that allowed one to
specify more quote-like behavior

I'll share links in a few days when the repo moves from embarrassing to
merely incomplete.


On Thu, Jul 23, 2020, 6:08 PM <colecmac at protonmail.com> wrote:

> > At this point it seems like we may as well go "whole hog" and insist on
> > at least one space after all the line type markers - that would mean
> > quote lines starting with "> " and link lines starting with "=> ". Does
> > anybody object to that?
>
>
> I do sort of object to this. I don't think there's much value in switching
> the other definitions when a need hasn't been demonstrated. I have seen
> many
> links that don't have a space after the "=>", and I don't see why there
> needs to
> be a space after the quote marker either. It's nicer to read in both cases,
> but I'm not in favour of creating changes when they don't seem to be
> required.
>
> Why not just change the heading lines?
>
> Cheers,
> makeworld
>
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