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4451

Developer's Corner / Re: Markdown (and what do you do when a community outgrows your contribution)

« Last post by wraith808 on September 07, 2014, 11:16 PM »

And it gets worse...

https://twitter.com/...s/507647288471470080

and it appears that Jeff Atwood has learned a lesson... even to douchey responses (though admittedly, he could have left the finally off his original tweet or used another word), he's responding better now...

https://twitter.com/...s/507847788592246785

Some historical context also:

https://twitter.com/...s/262287246953164800

https://twitter.com/...s/261650083689426945

4452

Developer's Corner / Re: Markdown (and what do you do when a community outgrows your contribution)

« Last post by wraith808 on September 07, 2014, 10:44 PM »

Wow! I'm a big Markdown fan myself. Didn't know about this dispute though. Would be interesting to know what goes on inside Gruber's head. Seems like he missed the chance to be part of something important. I'm actually surprised how much effort the team behind CommonMark put into getting him on board. With the attitude he demonstrates, I think I would have just ignore him much sooner.

-phitsc (September 07, 2014, 01:56 PM)

Well, he's aptly stated what goes on inside of his head.  I can't find the interview quote right now*, but he's outright said that markdown doesn't need a standard, when it's obvious that it does... especially to the end user.  I was using three different markdown tools... one to edit online so I could do it anywhere and sync via dropbox... one locally to take that sync and format it (a piece of software I'm working on and hoping to have for NANY) and one to take the formatted version and output a word document for distribution.  The amount of effort I had to do to make sure that the final product was good for distribution was painful.

Of course, it doesn't help that he is sort of acting passive aggressive about the whole thing.  He's not personally insulting CommonMark or Jeff Atwood... he's letting his followers doing it an retweeting them.



Staying classy and above the fray there...

* It was a tweet, as most things in this seem to be: https://twitter.com/...s/507364924340060160

4453

Non-Windows Software / Re: LINUX: Remarkable - a very simple previewing Markdown editor for Linux

« Last post by wraith808 on September 07, 2014, 10:35 PM »

There's actually a couple of web based apps that do the same thing.

4454

Living Room / Re: The One Word Game!

« Last post by wraith808 on September 07, 2014, 10:33 PM »

boys

4455

Living Room / Re: The One Word Game!

« Last post by wraith808 on September 06, 2014, 05:13 PM »

wagner

4456

Living Room / Re: The One Word Game!

« Last post by wraith808 on September 06, 2014, 04:23 PM »

down

4457

Living Room / Re: The One Word Game!

« Last post by wraith808 on September 06, 2014, 10:49 AM »

blackwater

4458

Developer's Corner / Re: Markdown (and what do you do when a community outgrows your contribution)

« Last post by wraith808 on September 05, 2014, 07:31 PM »

Oh... and another quote that shows why a standard was needed... my example was only a bit pessimistic.

It isn't a specialized dialect.

It's a deep introspection on supporting exactly what Markdown was intended to do, but failed to specify with enough accuracy, leaving us to the current situation where this...

[Select]

# Hello there

This is a paragraph.

- one
- two
- three
- four

1. pirate
2. ninja
3. zombie

… renders out as 15 different outputs from 22 different Markdown parsers.

In fact, one of the design goals was to render "most" Markdown as close to the original intent of the authors as possible.

On that note... when will we get md code formatting?

4459

Developer's Corner / Re: Markdown (and what do you do when a community outgrows your contribution)

« Last post by wraith808 on September 05, 2014, 07:24 PM »

The people who want to extend and standardize markdown seem to be bending over backwards to acknowledge and show respect for Gruber's contribution when they could have just as easily forked and been done with it. But they very much wanted to keep "markdown" in the name and involve Mr.Gruber in the process. However, for some reason, Mr. Gruber seems to be highly offended by their overtures.

-40hz (September 05, 2014, 04:05 PM)

Personally, I think it would have been nice for this standardization process to be allowed to use the name Markdown.

However, Markdown was created by Gruber and the Markdown project belongs to him. He therefore has the right to decide how the name for that project should be used.  I think this 'fork' should simply use a different name.  I have no doubt it will become successful (since it'll be used on StackExchange, Github, and Reddit).  And it appears that this is the tack that they've taken - the fork is now called CommonMark.

I actually think that in the long run, Gruber's Markdown will largely become a note in the history of CommonMark.  But that doesn't give them the right to the project name.

-mwb1100 (September 05, 2014, 07:12 PM)

While what you say is true- which is the reason for my split feelings on the subject- it's still very petty and small to both hold on to something and prohibit growth.  Especially when there are several things using the markdown name that Gruber neither has given permission to, nor endorsed.  Look at his scathing comments on MultiMarkdown to see that.  He really, I think, objected to the word Standard.  Which when replaced with Pedantic in his reply really shows his true colors, IMO, i.e.

Edit: after a long and thoughtful email from John Gruber – which is greatly appreciated – he indicated that no form of the word "Markdown" is acceptable to him in this case. We are now using the name CommonMark.

from http://blog.codingho...now-common-markdown/

4460

Living Room / Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a USB voice recognition headset

« Last post by wraith808 on September 05, 2014, 01:10 PM »

though I love logitech for listening and standard talking... for times when clarity is key, the consensus does seem to be plantronics.

4461

Developer's Corner / Markdown (and what do you do when a community outgrows your contribution)

« Last post by wraith808 on September 05, 2014, 01:02 PM »

I love markdown.  I use it when writing everything from fiction, to game books, to documentation at work.  There's something so freeing about being able to write and format in plain text.  However, the specification really sucks.  I can take the same markdown document, and run it through X parsers and get X results.  That's a problem, especially with something that's become so prevalent.  People have played around with making a standard or forking it or several different things... but the biggest holdup has been the creator of it.  He has explicitly said that he didn't really see the need for a specification.  And has consistently not wanted to be at the forefront of development on it.

A few older articles on this issue:

http://blog.codingho...urce-code-parenting/

http://blog.codingho...-future-of-markdown/

http://www.fastcolab...-is-still-growing-up

http://www.garron.me...ure-of-markdown.html

So finally, a lot of people got together on the spec... and released a standardized version of markdown.

Then the fireworks started.

I'll let the articles speak for themselves...

http://blog.codingho...d-flavored-markdown/

http://blog.codingho...now-common-markdown/

Before I chime in, I'll ask for thoughts... because I'm sort of split on the issue... and I don't think its over.

Oh... and if you want to see the spec, check http://standardmarkdown.com/.  It will be going away... and not redirected, which I don't understand.  But I'm assuming it will be at http://commonmarkdown.com/

4462

Living Room / Re: The One Word Game!

« Last post by wraith808 on September 05, 2014, 10:33 AM »

plateau

4463

Living Room / Re: The One Word Game!

« Last post by wraith808 on September 04, 2014, 10:59 AM »

I know this is my own pet peeve, but if you've already posted a few times to a thread like this, maybe it would be appropriate to hang back and let the time between posts get long enough to encourage some new posters.

-mouser (September 04, 2014, 10:51 AM)

There's two sides to that... the other side is that approach sometimes kills these kinds of threads.  Not sure what the middle ground is...

4464

Living Room / Re: The One Word Game!

« Last post by wraith808 on September 04, 2014, 10:18 AM »

worthy

4465

Living Room / Re: What age is too young for a mobile phone?

« Last post by wraith808 on September 03, 2014, 12:30 PM »

They already had them.  They apparently didn't take off as much as you intuit they would.  It says something about the market when Disney can't even market this niche.

4466

General Software Discussion / Re: collaborative software, note strong, for small biz

« Last post by wraith808 on September 02, 2014, 08:49 PM »

Not the silver bullet you're looking for, but what has worked for me the last year or so is Draft for collaborative document editing and Asana for... well, everything else.

-allen (September 02, 2014, 04:59 PM)

Thanks for that... Draft looks quite cool!  I've been using StackEdit and Yarny for my online editing... that looks like it's going into the same toolset.

4467

DC Gamer Club / Re: Extra Credits: Propaganda Games & Why Games Do Cthulhu Wrong

« Last post by wraith808 on September 02, 2014, 02:54 PM »

In short, you can't fight Cthulhu. Cthulhu is the failure state. If Cthulhu appears, the game is over.

-40hz (July 22, 2014, 09:28 AM)

This.  Definitely this.  In my Call of Cthulhu games, the scenarios were around the plot of dealing with the unknowable- never about dealing with the aftermath when they are knowable because they are here.  Game over if that happens.

4468

Living Room / Re: Game (& reviews) industry's silent scandal

« Last post by wraith808 on September 02, 2014, 02:17 PM »

The SJWs need to STFU.

-Renegade (September 02, 2014, 11:43 AM)

Um...a point of order if I may be so bold?

Regardless of one's opinion on any given toppic, I think saying "STFU" to anyone about anything is completely out of place at DoCo.

Sorry to sound like a "SJW" or Boy Scout. But to my mind, a STFU comment runs counter to everything this community is supposed to be about.

Or so it seems to me.

-40hz (September 02, 2014, 01:20 PM)

I do agree that the phrasing is over the top... even if I do agree with the sentiment ren was trying to portray.  Let me see if I can take a stab at this.

Social justice in all it's forms has been co-opted by those that don't understand that the loudest words that they give their cause is the hypocritical way that they carry themselves, which in general tends to divide rather than bring reconciliation and peace.  In my opinion.

4469

Living Room / Re: Game (& reviews) industry's silent scandal

« Last post by wraith808 on September 02, 2014, 02:09 PM »

I'm of two minds regarding the approach on this particular incident...

1. It's TMI
2. It's a cautionary tale as she's trading on her reputation and experience in her game release, and portraying herself in one way, when she's another.  It also affects more than just the two of them in that regard- at the very least the spouse.  But that brings me to point...
3. I don't think that anyone should tell someone they're being cheated on.  It sucks... but its better to let them come to their own conclusion than to shove it in someone's face.

4470

Living Room / Re: Game (& reviews) industry's silent scandal

« Last post by wraith808 on September 02, 2014, 12:40 PM »

^ Very well said.

4471

Living Room / Re: The Movie and Book Writing Thread

« Last post by wraith808 on September 02, 2014, 12:31 PM »

In all seriousness, Ren is a great editor.  Though I didn't get my story published, between Ren's suggestions, and the suggestions of a friend who is a professional writer, the story that came out was a lot better.  I just need to get back to it.

4472

Living Room / Re: Game (& reviews) industry's silent scandal

« Last post by wraith808 on September 02, 2014, 11:08 AM »

Well, the first thing is to throw away the idea that they're journalists.  That done, visit sites for the content, not the reviews.  Wait until after the first few weeks, and then get user reviews.

This isn't new, nor the first time.  See Kane & Lynch (look up Jeff Gerstmann), just offhand. 

There was also a CVG article on this a few years ago.

Gaming companies use meta-critic as performance reviews for their staff.  And as such, manipulating that has become a very sad art, and who can blame them when its their livelihood on the line?   That's why I go for the reviews of players, even if that means getting it later.  I have enough to play in any case (too much, actually), so I can wait... and reap the benefits of the short term memory of the market on most games in regards to pricing.

4473

Living Room / Re: Ice Bucket Challenge...You all got nominated!

« Last post by wraith808 on August 31, 2014, 09:37 AM »

(I find the complete absence of any provision for readers to comment back both telling and oddly familiar. Dialogue was never the extreme Left's strong point. They always preferred the soapbox or lecture rather than a discussion or debate conducted in good-faith.)

-40hz (August 30, 2014, 02:29 PM)

The discussions are on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook...osts/931983790161656

-app103 (August 30, 2014, 07:05 PM)

Better than nothing I suppose. But IMHO a FB membership is a pretty high price to pay just to comment on something.

-40hz (August 30, 2014, 11:01 PM)

A lot of sites are doing that now.  One of the reasons I stopped visiting Huffington Post.

4474

Community Giveaways / Re: Orcs Must Die 2, Crusader Kings 2 (+2 pieces of DLC) and Terraria Giveaway

« Last post by wraith808 on August 29, 2014, 12:12 PM »

I just can't stop!

what do you call a psychic midget who has escaped from prison?

Spoiler

A small medium at large!

4475

Community Giveaways / Re: Orcs Must Die 2, Crusader Kings 2 (+2 pieces of DLC) and Terraria Giveaway

« Last post by wraith808 on August 29, 2014, 12:11 PM »

What does a cannibal do after dumping his girlfriend?

Spoiler

Wipes his butt.