Gemini Digest, Vol 25, Issue 4

[Pete D.]

>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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