When the web was there, it had no historical record to rely on, everything that happened was unprecedent in history because it was the "killer app" of the internet, and by virtue of being the killer app it made the internet something people want.
Now in 2021 we have a lot of historical records of how things shaped and get in the way they are now. Everything that you are saying about the Gemini is exactly how the primary web was in the beginning and yet it changed because a lot of forces happened.
I completely agree that the Web now is a whale and its too fat (BTW this is the point that Gemini is getting right), but i don't agree with the approach at all, as its not possible to have a time machine and make the technological status-quo get back to were it was in the nineties so a project like Gemini can be a successful branch of WWW.
A "skinny web" standard would be much more useful, and here i think that Tim Berners Lee is missing the point by creating something like Solid instead.
Anyway, its a chance missed to point to something for the future, pointing to the past instead and making a lot of good folks lost by following the wrong way.
I consider Gemini part of the "retro technology movement", that while cool and while having its heart in the right place, miss a nice chance to help us all change a very dark future ahead of us of digital feudalism imposed by the big tech goliath monopoly.
We, the tech crowd need to step back and stop following them into that bleak future, Gemini is subversive in that sense, but while the goals are great, its alienatory nature negating the status-quo and forgetting to learn with historical events its not a step into the right direction.
But if at least take some people away from the WWDC's and Google IO's, at least it will be a little bit less people into this army that is leading us into this dystopic future we are heading right now.. and i just hoped that Gemini with a little more contextual knowledge could be at least a stone in their path.