What is Gemini?
Gemini is a new way of using the Internet, separate from the World Wide Web you are familiar with. Compared to the WWW, it is intended to be:
Simpler – Gemini pages aren’t programs that run in your browser like most modern websites are; they’re just text with a little formatting, so there are no surprises. Once you know how one Gemini page works, you know how they all work.
Human Scale – Gemini servers and clients aren’t written by big, monopolistic software companies the way web browsers are; the DIY ethos of Gemini means that complete applications can be written by individual developers or small groups in a reasonable amount of time. That also means that you have more choices compared to web browsers.
Distraction Free – Gemini pages are text-only and have simple typography. You can view images, watch video, or listen to music over Gemini, but nothing will ever autoplay, pop over what you’re reading, or jump out of the way of your mouse.
Privacy Protecting – Every Gemini request is independent of every other, so there’s no way to track you between sites. Every site you visit is protected by the same encryption used by banking and eCommerce sites on the WWW.
More details are in the Official Gemini FAQ. Be aware that it’s targeted at a more technical audience than this quick start page, so you might want to skip it for now and come back later. The main thing to know is that you’re going to get a much more stripped-down experience compared to the modern WWW, but that’s okay! Some of the choices made to keep Gemini simple may seem too extreme, compared to even a bare-bones web site, but there are hidden benefits that won’t be obvious at first.
How do I read pages on Gemini?
The first thing to do is to install a Gemini client. A Gemini client is like a web browser, except instead of browsing the web, it browses Geminispace. There are at least a couple of Gemini clients available for most platforms. Here, I’m going to recommend just one, that I think will feel most familiar or least surprising to new users. That doesn’t mean I think the other ones are bad. A lot of it is just personal preference, just like with web browsers. After you get used to Gemini with the client I recommend, you may want to try some others.
You may be used to doing everything in the web browser, and find it strange or uncomfortable to have to install a different program to read Gemini pages. But you’ll get used to it; the WWW tries to be everything to everyone, both a floor-wax and a toothpaste, while Gemini tries to be good at just one thing.
... continue reading