Plain text lives, markdown prospers

Nick, of Dead Parrot BBS, on Why plain text is still one of the best technologies we have:

I can create a text file on Linux, copy it to a Windows machine, put it on a web server, open it in a terminal, search it with command-line tools, edit it with any number of programs, or send it to somebody using an entirely different system. Very little about the file depends on how it was created.

And on markdown’s input:

The obvious weakness of plain text is formatting… Markdown is a practical compromise. It is a plain-text format for structured documents, drawing on conventions that were already familiar from email and Usenet. … Its real strength is that the source remains useful even if the Markdown processor disappears.

Haven’t found what you’re looking for? Try this site’s list of recommended markdown editors.