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Comment by Animats | Hacker News Reader

Core idea from this: we do need something that discourages web page bloat. The last try at this was Google AMP, which didn't go over well with either site operators or users. Any better ideas?

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AMP was controversial because it initially prioritized Top Stories cached on Google servers as opposed to other operators, but its nominally open source spec eventually allowed other sites to improve their ad optimize revenue: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_Mobile_Pages#Monet...

I think its current issue with AMP is that it makes the web seem flattened, with pages appearing more the same than having more independent formats. I think that if the average page can be smaller than the average AMP standard e.g less than 1.5MB, then a CDN wouldn't need to prioritize AMP.

A friend of mine referenced the 64KB demoscene competitions, which were creative use of video graphics.https://64k-scene.github.io/

250KB Club seems like a nice place to start with websites: https://250kb.club/

To be honest, one thing I've been interested in is a totally markdown-only web. You leave everything the same, you just use a Markweb browser as the only thing and it only accesses text/markdown. Then I build Yet Another Protocol Bridge for my blog and no one visits it ever again. That sounds like fun.

The trouble is, people keep extending Markdown to add HTML features. There's even Javascript embedded in Markdown.[1] You'd just create churn, not a fix.

[1] https://www.markdownlang.com/advanced/javascript.html

There is no "adding HTML features" to Markdown. Markdown is a superset of HTML. You can simply put HTML tags (including script tags) in your Markdown.

If you interpret Markdown that way, all you've done is encapsulate HTML and JavaScript. Nothing gets simpler.

Exactly the problem.

Check out the gemini:// protocal. There are browsers, search engines, and the whole thing is basically markdown.

its a cool idea, but lacks content. Discoverability is kinda bad as well. All fixable problems. I think it could take off given some good content.

Haha that’s what I was joking about. I already have a Gemini bridge at gemini://g.wiki.roshangeorge.dev and I’ve had maybe two days in its history with any visitors. Funny.

Make that three.

You're looking for Moss.

https://mastodon.social/@xmunch/115822364073874855

What protocols does your blog bridge to?

Moss looks great.

I use LaGrange and Kristall, which support multiple protocols.

Maybe take some inspiration from wap?:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Application_Protocol

Although with supercomputers in wrist watches, I'm not sure we need a new standard - html and css works fine across devices - if used with some care?

Yes, I've used WAP on my Nokia phones. I would really like to bring something from the Symbian era, and covered J2ME in a series of posts from the days before: https://inavoyage.blogspot.com/2026/06/how-about-new-java-ba...

Also, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_(programming)

Adblockers. On a lot of sites a significant portion of the bloat is from third party ads and tracking.

gemini gave it the old college try

ANGH as long as marketing people are allowed to control the narrative.

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