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WikiWord Linking in MS Word

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wraith808:
I'd like to use AsciiDoc, but after trying for a while, missed my tools that I use, so am back to Markdown.

Shades:
I can see why AsciiDoc might be simpler, but I'm not convinced either are that intuitive once get away from headings, italics etc. I remember trying to work out colours in markdown once: some worked easily but others didn't. I decided it was another case of precise learning required.

In the end, I think ubiquity will beat perfection and that gives it to markdown. I noticed that even Trello works in markdown. Haven't checked the flavour, but I've noticed the GitHub version mentioned a lot.
-Dormouse (May 08, 2020, 09:45 AM)
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When asked for a documentation portal at the time, a Wiki was my answer. Markdown was my second answer. The response on my answer was AsciiDoc. It apparently integrates well with GitLab, which was the solution selected for version management of software. Why run 2 systems separately, when you can do it all in one.  Hard to argue with that logic, so AsciiDoc it will be then. Spending quite some time finding and testing out editors that support AsciiDoc was next. Once the description about the good/bad points was made, I had to convert a manual (Microsoft Word) with 15 years worth of script commands. That was where I got to appreciate what AsciiDoc does.

First I used a tool called PanDoc to do the conversion to AsciiDoc. And for "funsies" I also did a conversion to MarkDown. The resulting AsciiDoc was smaller and rendered closer to the original than the resulting MarkDown did. No conversion is ever perfect, so fixing was needed in both documents. AsciiDoc editors have a document structure check built-in and that made it easy to find and fix these. Some AsciiDoc editors also have software built-in that show you where and how you can make documents render better and faster.

I'm sure there are MarkDown editors that can do the same, but I never looked for them. In the end, the MarkDown/AsciiDoc story will be similar to the VHS/BetaMax story. BetaMax technically superior, but strict. VHS more cheaply available. On that we agree.

Ah well, it is what it is and if it isn't, it will be.     

Dormouse:
That certainly makes AsciiDoc sound better, but you usually need a massive advantage to overturn ubiquity. MarkDown has first mover advantage.

I appreciate that MarkDown isn't really ubiquitous because it has so many flavours but it gives the appearance of it. I probably approximate the average user: I'd rather not have to do it at all, and I'll learn as much as I need and no more. What I use will depend on programs and since the ones I like seem to be MarkDown that takes me to plaintext with the occasional scream or two. I have no intention of learning how to do a table if I can possibly avoid it. I notice that PanDoc will translate to AsciiDoc but not from, but will try go both ways for a variety of MarkDown flavours.

Dormouse:
In the end, the MarkDown/AsciiDoc story will be similar to the VHS/BetaMax story. BetaMax technically superior, but strict. VHS more cheaply available.
-Shades (May 08, 2020, 02:36 PM)
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The VHS/Betamax story was an interesting one. Betamax wasn't actually much better, and worse in some ways. Both launched at around the same time. What decided it was marketing in the US. Tape length mattered there and Sony wasn't willing to match VHS because it would cut their quality. Once VHS had grabbed most of that market, economies of scale allowed VHS costs to be driven down. (And Betamax was intrinsically harder to cut costs on.)

Another similar battle was satellite TV in the UK. And there the winner was definitely lower quality. BSB was conceptually first but the time it would take for it to launch its squarial allowed Murdoch to rush out the small Sky aerial and grab enough of the market to stick a log through the spokes of the BSB wagon.

It's the flavours that will give this one to MarkDown. Without them it would be flat on its face waiting for something better to walk all over it. But propped up by its flavours I think it's just too big to budge any time soon.

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