3 ms·

> And not postscript. Something you can author by hand. How about TeX? Many sites already use js libraries that integrate latex.

Tharkun 9y ago
I hope this was intended as a joke? Most users struggle with simple typesetting conventions like underscore/asterisk. HTML tags (or CSS) are out of reach for the vast majority. TeX isn't even part of the known universe for users!
- snakeanus 9y ago
  > HTML tags (or CSS) are out of reach for the vast majority CSS sure, but most people can learn the basic html tags in a minute. Same for the basic latex conventions.
  - flukus 9y ago
    I think this is a case where struggling == "doesn't want to learn". It's important to distinguish so you don't waste time trying to help the latter.
cjsuk 9y ago
Not the worst idea. However not the best. Something between that and markdown.
- snakeanus 9y ago
  Markdown is a bad joke.
  - cjsuk 9y ago
    It's really fine for casual documentation. I wouldn't write a book or a paper in it though.
    - gaius 9y ago
      R Markdown is a joy to use and people even do write books with it!
    - dredmorbius 9y ago
      For a straight-text book, actually, Markdown is excellent. You can include images, or for technical content, tables, easily. Technical papers with formulae and complex references are slightly more detailed, but that ends up being gloss. Even LaTeX for a simple text is quite minimal (though you need the starting template). Source: I've made something of a hobby of marking up source docs into HTML, LaTeX, and Markdown. Of the set, Markdown would be my first go-to, and I've used it for some book-length projects. Example here: https://ello.co/dredmorbius/post/lhw2eq4qmnnwxijlcrfyba https://ello.co/dredmorbius/post/lhw2eq4qmnnwxijlcrfyba
      - snakeanus 9y ago
        > For a straight-text book, actually, Markdown is excellent. You can include images, or for technical content, tables, easily. I would probably use org-mode for that.
        dredmorbius 9y ago
        Another solid option, yes.

Tharkun 9y ago

I hope this was intended as a joke? Most users struggle with simple typesetting conventions like underscore/asterisk. HTML tags (or CSS) are out of reach for the vast majority. TeX isn't even part of the known universe for users!

snakeanus 9y ago
> HTML tags (or CSS) are out of reach for the vast majority CSS sure, but most people can learn the basic html tags in a minute. Same for the basic latex conventions.
- flukus 9y ago
  I think this is a case where struggling == "doesn't want to learn". It's important to distinguish so you don't waste time trying to help the latter.

cjsuk 9y ago

Not the worst idea. However not the best. Something between that and markdown.

snakeanus 9y ago
Markdown is a bad joke.
- cjsuk 9y ago
  It's really fine for casual documentation. I wouldn't write a book or a paper in it though.
  - gaius 9y ago
    R Markdown is a joy to use and people even do write books with it!
  - dredmorbius 9y ago
    For a straight-text book, actually, Markdown is excellent. You can include images, or for technical content, tables, easily. Technical papers with formulae and complex references are slightly more detailed, but that ends up being gloss. Even LaTeX for a simple text is quite minimal (though you need the starting template). Source: I've made something of a hobby of marking up source docs into HTML, LaTeX, and Markdown. Of the set, Markdown would be my first go-to, and I've used it for some book-length projects. Example here: https://ello.co/dredmorbius/post/lhw2eq4qmnnwxijlcrfyba https://ello.co/dredmorbius/post/lhw2eq4qmnnwxijlcrfyba
    - snakeanus 9y ago
      > For a straight-text book, actually, Markdown is excellent. You can include images, or for technical content, tables, easily. I would probably use org-mode for that.
      - dredmorbius 9y ago
        Another solid option, yes.