| HTML (Living Standard — Last Updated 27 April 2022) | Gemtext (Speculative specification v0.16.1, January 30th 2022) |
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| Markup Required | Can just write a text
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| Markup errors exist (most user agents complement the errors and the content is not rendered unreferenced, but accessibility is reduced) | Practically no markup errors exist
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| Inline marks available | No inline marks
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| Maximum level of headings is 6 | Maximum level of headings is 3
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| Meta information and relationships between content can be made explicit | No explicit meta information, relationships between content
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| Various presentations (information provision/acquisition) are possible | Presentation (information provision/acquisition) is limited
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Can explicitly state document structure, such as footer, contact information, etc.
- Emphasis, footer, and other marks, so that user agents can recognize them and easily grasp the document structure (can extract, skip, hide, or change the color scheme)
| No explicit document structure, such as footer, contact information, etc.
- No emphasis, footer, or other marks, so that clients cannot recognize them and have difficulty understanding the document structure (cannot extract, skip, hide, or change the color scheme)
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| Semantic readability has human and machine. Example: source of quotation | Semantic readability has only for humans. Example: source of quotation
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Can be used in conjunction with CSS to make documents easier to read (more flexible settings)
- Can disable author's style sheet
- Can override reader's style sheet
| Style sheets are not available
- Client can be configured to make the document easier to read, but less flexible than CSS
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| Margins between headings and paragraphs are in units specified, and controlled by the author/reader. | Margins between headings and paragraphs are line by line, and controlled by the author.
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| Whitespace characters are combined into one (double-byte spaces are rendered unlimitedly) | Whitespace characters are rendered unlimitedly
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| Blank lines are not rendered | Blank lines are rendered unlimitedly
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| Third party requests can be made | Not possible to make third-party requests
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| Can execute something other than text | Not allowed to execute anything other than text
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| Can provide media other than text | Provide text media only
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| Takes time to check markups | Just write and upload
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| Difficult to develop user agents due to complex specifications | Easy to develop clients due to simplified specifications
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