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I think books are a great comparison for Gemini. Sure, some books have the occasional image and are made better for including it. However, thumbing through a l
by epicide 5y ago
I think books are a great comparison for Gemini.
Sure, some books have the occasional image and are made better for including it. However, thumbing through a lot (not all) of my stack of books, I see maybe one or two images in an entire book [0]. A lot of those are simple diagrams that could be conveyed (albeit crudely) via text.
The remaining image (singular) could have easily been a URL or even a description. "A picture is worth a thousand words" works both ways. Therefore, sometimes it's better to just say a thousand words.
And none of that is to say that we shouldn't have movies or shows or newspapers and textbooks full of pictures! Books pose no threat to any of those, so it's pretty odd to see people threatened seemingly by the mere existence of Gemini. Especially when part of its introduction is that it's not a replacement for the Web!
Perhaps that upfront clarification is what's so scary? Depending on context, "we mean you no harm" can also sound like a threat.
[0]: Though most have precisely 0. Obviously depends on author and their intent.
- throw10920 5y agoI don't think that books are a great comparison for Gemini. Go read The Art of Computer Programming or Linear Algebra Done Right and tell me how easy it would be to process that information without mathematical equations. Gemini doesn't just eschew images - it gets rid of math notation, too. Imagine how much further we would be back if we had been unable to use mathematical notation that didn't fit the ASCII character set. Not to mention all of the thousands of books that are massively better off with actual diagrams in them, and the fact that many books (textbooks especially) that should use images don't. Gemini isn't even as capable as a book. And yes, the marketing material states that it's not a replacement for the Web, but it is constantly compared with the Web - sure sounds like a wink and a nod, a subtle suggestion that it is somewhat of a replacement. If Gemini users want to collectively go off and exclusively create content in Geminispace without bothering me, that's great. However, I'm not very amiable towards any efforts to start moving other people's stuff there, or even the possibility of getting big brains or educators onto that permanently crippled medium.
- readyplayeremma 5y agoI am curious to understand why it feels like you are perceiving Gemini as some kind of existential threat? There are many mediums in this world that are technically inferior but have an important role in many people's lives. Why listen to vinyl when your digital download doesn't require unnecessary space for storage, and has the ability to skip between albums and tracks instantly? Why use Twitter with a very limited set of characters and features? Twitter existing did not kill long-form writing? Gemini existing will not kill the web somehow? Why the hostility? There is room enough for all the mediums. And they each have their place in our culture. I think the space Gemini creates is unique, and a very welcome value-add to this world of never-ending distractions.