kittenlikeasmallcat @kittenlikeasmallcat@hackers.town

Anyway, here's a non-euclidean file browser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bhq08BQLDs

Feeling, as I do, that Gemini and other efforts are not going to far any better than old man HTTP/HTML if they succeeded...
Lately I've been instead wondering, what if we had a simple protocol for delivering data in standard schema (with sane schema versioning) instead? The data would then be rendered by the recipient browser into a layout and theme of the recipient's choosing.
Advantages:
* By adding a constraint (set of schema) we reduce the room for sillyness so close to a protocol layer, and push creativity back up to the actual substance of the message.
* Lots of content on the web now effectively corresponds to standard types anyway so we can just import these and use as-is to facilitate mirroring.
* By preventing entirely, at philosophical and protocol level, the idea of author-specified layout and behaviour (except in defined, recipient-configurable ways), we reduce the attractiveness of a scripting system.
* It's got accessibility baked into the concept - the schema could even support images in such a way that alt-text is a frank requirement. And if someone enters "blah" now at least you know they're a jerk and not merely thoughtless.
* Versioning and schema naming mean browsers can choose what to support, and plugins or local scripting support could let users opt into or experiment with "bleeding edge" schema to support their needs.
* Sending data to servers or peer to peer as well as receiving it can be easily supported as well, whereas a lot of "simplify the web but keep the complex and arbitrary markup" projects eschew POST/PUT.
Disadvantages:
* Client behaviours would have to keep up with one another and respect version numbers of supported schema etcetera. A standard track for new or improved schema would be needed.
* Standards heavy RFC style design lends itself to abuse by dominant players, like how Google destroyed the W3C
* Getting user buy-in would require designers to make a few nice experiences for users, from "browser style", to "info-wall" or RSS, to "async, send notifications on triggers".. Design usually lacks in early hackery ideas

@wilw The reason Google tried to kill off RSS is because they consider any kind of "index, directory, or data structure that makes the web organized and easier to access a thread to their business model.

Google wants to be the only gateway into the information, and so RSS had only downside risk for them.

Now, in 2021, everyone should be using RSS as much as possible to help eliminate dependency on BigTech, and some day even create a fully semantic web.

In the last year Google has banned: the Element app, the LBRY app, and several Fediverse apps. If you get all of your apps from a single corporation, be it Google or Apple, you should make an effort to change that.

If you have an Android phone F-Droid is an alternative app repository, and it’s very easy to install! All of the previously mentioned apps have been available from F-Droid throughout being dropped from the Play Store.

If you have an iPhone, please consider other options for your next device. Apple does not respect you enough as a user to consider you possibly more capable of deciding what you should install on your phone than they are. That is absurd; please stop rewarding this behavior with your money.