[spec] comments on the proposed gemini spec revisions

[mntn]

The spec currently indicates that there must be a space after the asterisk; the asterisk alone is not enough. I'd like to express support for the spec as it stands (space required), as asterisks have been in common use for plain text emphasis for as long as I've used the internet. Since many people compose their gemtext by hand, allowing the space to be omitted would likely cause quite a few accidental lists.

October 16, 2021 3:13 PM, stack at tilde.club wrote:

>> This is on purpose to address instances where folks may have text-style
>> emphasis on a word, starting a line with *bold*, and it was pointed out
>> that this would insert an unwanted unordered list--this could be for
>> existing gopher text files, or for folks trying to add emphasis in their
>> gemtext (since there is no inline emphasis). By requiring the space, it
>> ameliorates that potential problem. So it's not different just to be
>> inconsistent, there's a reason behind it. And the reason the other ones
>> weren't changed was to allow the 'freedom' part, if it's not MUST then
>> it's MAY.
> 
> I am not sure why this is even an issue up for discussion. I am all for using *emphasis* and
> optionally styling emphasized text. However, the spec explicitly states what the initial * means.
> 
> Should we address the case of someone who wants it to mean something else? What about those who
> want to write things like:
> =>Haha!<=
> Should this case be discussed too?
> 
> Anyone who wishes for the * to mean something it does not can stick a space _in front of it_. If
> they don't like how it looks, they can look at the available UTF-8 glyphs that are space-like but
> narrower.
> 
> Can we please keep the spec small...