it’s not really about the type of data, it’s more about how you get it. web browsers could open gopher URIs for a long time, it was just a separate access method.

but the thing is, it doesn’t really make a difference today, because we’ve decided that http is some sort of base protocol.

someone decided to try making a custom matrix:// scheme (it’s called a scheme btw) for matrix clients and it’s just been a nightmare. clients don’t know what to do with the url, servers block it, we had to patch it out to get it to properly encrypt messages to our local homeserver. and matrix just uses http on top anyway.

no, i think they should be reserved for protocols that are important enough to be in the <1000 range of ports. like SSH, or Doom multiplayer.