Re: an argument for comment systems in gemini
Adding my two cents to the discussion. I generally agree with both of you, I just want to move the emphasis a bit.
I see every disadvantage of gemini protocol as it's feature. Every motion towards making it easier, faster and instant gratification giving is making it less of a smolnet and more like it's big www brother.
Writing an email just to reply to somebody's log can indeed feel like it's too direct or too burdensome. The same way as asking somebody on the street outloud for anything is something that for many feels the same way these days (cause we have all the information in our pockets). But is it really? Is it? I think not, I think we all lack it, lack the real interaction. Every single time somebody wrote me an email responding to my gemini log, IT FELT JUST GREAT. A comment underneath would not feel this way at all. The more intimate, the more effort it requires, the closer it is to a real connection.
Once again. I generally agree with you both. Comments add new quality, allow better communication (in the way that all the replies are visible in one place so everyone can easily reach them), what I'm saying is that we've got to be really careful not to mess this place up. If a new feature appears it's very likely to start being perceived as a standard and all those who won't use it may suffer from just being forgotten, less attractive. We should not invite the easy and easily gratifying way of organasing things here generally. Maybe it's good idea for some gemini spaces this time though, who knows, I'm not saying I know. But there's a danger, we should be aware.
Last thing - I'm just a user. A non-techy guy. I don't add to the functionality of the smolnet (maybe I will in the future who knows). The barrier was high enough for me to even start browsing gemini and if I'm now able to write and reply to you is only thx to great community support. AND I LOVE IT. This is one of the reasons I feel great here. I feel home and excited to learn and talk to people. Every making it easier is making me less eager to ask anyone for help. That means less socialisation, less interaction, more of feeling lonely here and more likely me abandoning this place one day. Like I'm abandoning places where most people around me function in every day life (Facebook etc).
These are my feelings. Things will go their way as always but I wanted to add to the stream of thought.
db
p.s. Same reasons make me strongly opposed to visit counters in gemini m15o wrote about. I'm happy the idea is not going to be implemented for now.
@m15o's log "Looking for input: adding page views to smol pub?"
@m15o's log "No Page hit count"
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