Beyond HTTPS: Exploring Decentralized Internet Protocols Like Gemini, Gopher, and Finger
By
Brennan Kenneth Brown
Front-window bakery material. Catches the eye, delivers the goods.
Summary
The article explores alternative internet protocols beyond HTTPS, focusing on URI schemes like Finger (1971), Gopher (1991), and Gemini (2019) as decentralized, terminal-based alternatives to the modern web. It discusses the IndieWeb movement, the solarpunk philosophy of intentional technology, and how these protocols offer accessible browsing regardless of hardware age, challenging the monoculture of modern browsers like Chrome.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledOne of the biggest draws of the IndieWeb for me is the decentralization.
These protocols meet you where you are, whether you're on a machine from 2005 or just tired of Chrome's monoculture.
The small web is in a renaissance.
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