Gemini Articles of Interest

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Jul 24, 2023

A Gemini client^* is needed for the following links.

• Technology and Free Software

  • Checking out FreeBSD 13.2-RELEASE

    There are several differences compared to Linux. For example in the development process: unlike GNU/Linux, where the kernel, the userland tools and everything else is made by different projects, FreeBSD is a complete operating system. Everything (kernel, userland tools, some servers and documentation) is developed and maintained by the FreeBSD team.

    While the Linux kernel and most of the userland tools are licensed under the "copyleft" GNU GPL, the FreeBSD system is licensed under the "permissive" BSD license. As a result Apple could base main parts of it's MacOS on FreeBSD and make it proprietary software. I leave it to the reader if this is a good thing or not.

  • Internet/Gemini

    • I'm in love with Gem, and I feel fine

      I'm envious, but just don't have the time to go beyond a large list at this point in time.

    • Heads up: don't read this if you're a Gemini Content Idealist, because I guarantee it will disappoint - if not horrify - you

      I find the "MAGA wing" as detestably ignorant as the let's-repurpose-the-alphabet-to-describe-mostly-made-up-genders wing.

      But I'll likely be voting with the former because the latter thinks they know me and my character by way of my age ("old"), skin color ("white"), and gender ("male"). And what they "know" of me - not merely suspect, but know with certainty! - through that ridiculously moronic categorization is I'm "privileged", a "supremacist", and spent all my life plotting to ruin life for all who aren't an "old white male".

      Can you see why I might vote against that - if not occasionally want to seek refuge in a "small town"? ;-)

    • The LLM's Aren't Looking Here Yet

      When I ask Google Bard to access specific websites, it usually has no trouble finding the information I'm looking for. This can be helpful if I'm looking for answers in a large body of documentation - instead of combing the docs for an answer to an obscure question, I can ask Bard where I need to look and save a lot of trouble.

    • X is stupid

      I make no secret of my disdain for Elon Musk (nor indeed for any m/billionaire). The man is certifiable and incredibly immature, which combined with his immense wealth and incurious nature makes for a pretty dangerous person. I guess we're lucky he seems to be focusing all his efforts on destroying the brand of his new expensive toy. It could be worse.

      When I was a kid, I used to play a Sega Genesis game called "Road Rash" a lot. I loved that game. The motorbikes, the violence, the incredible soundtrack. It had it all. One thing I remember really liking was the character names. Names like "Axle" and "Teflon Mike" just sounded so cool to my 8 year old ears, to the point that I started trying to create similarly cool names for stories I wrote. My sister mocked me relentlessly, but she just didn't get it.

      I get the feeling that Elon feels the same way about "X" as I did about those character names. A overwhelming sense of childish "that's cool!" that everyone else thinks is foolish.

    • ChatGPT4 spam will help the internet because companies will have to trade growth for trust

    • GPT4 Spam Not Gonna Help

      Yeah, right. First, IDs?? This doesn't sacrifice anything besides privacy, and probably only makes things more centralized, since users won't trust anyone but a few reputable Big Guys with their government ID.

      Second, subscriptions. Well, that just decreases accessibility and makes social networks private clubs for rich people. Also, centrally reliant on credit card companies.

      Third, invite-only signups. This one has less problems, and definitely "sacrific[es] growth for trust". But do we want to be in closed-off invite-only silos? Wouldn't this scenario make federation pretty tricky? Most importantly, I doubt big growth-oriented companies will choose this option if they can avoid it. More likely, they'll go the centralized and privacy invading route of government ID verification.

^* Gemini links can be opened using Gemini software. It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter.