6 ms·

He invented markup and has a CS degree.

lern_too_spel 9y ago
He invented markdown, which isn't much of an "invention." Similar simplified markup existed at the time, like bbcode and wikitext. His CS degree is fairly rudimentary. He is famous entirely for writing fawningly about Apple products, which appeals to people who need others' validation to justify their purchases.
- KGIII 9y ago
  He was a Microsoft MVP award winner for a couple of years. I win the award a number of times, back when I was still using Windows, and he was around back then. I'll avoid offering my own impressions except to say he reminded me of the Lockergnome guy.
- accordionclown 9y ago
  gruber didn't "invent" markdown. he took the idea from dean allen, who had created "textile" (which was featured in the movabletype blogging-system gruber used). gruber reworked that idea slightly, then released it with a catchy name, and somehow received all the credit. as for gruber's blog, i would say it is evenhanded and informative, albeit focused on apple and its products. the blog is certainly not "fawning", and i think most apple-buyers feel no need to "justify" their purchases.
  - lern_too_spel 9y ago
    Markdown is as different from Textile as it is from Wikitext, which is another precursor I mentioned. Evenhanded and informative? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9345962 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9345962 Any time Apple has a product in a space where there are other competitors, Apple's products are magically always the best in Gruber's blog.
    - accordionclown 9y ago
      i'm sure very few people care that you and i disagree.
always_good 9y ago
That's kind of the point. Those are relatively rudimentary things that don't make them an Apple expert. Yet tech communities like HN sponge up every one of their posts. They were just great at self-promotion. Though, this isn't a fair time to be lumping them in with Scoble. In fact, I think this top thread of "lol why is Scoble popular anyways?" is pretty lame and counter-productive. It's like "lol he has a stupid haircut anyways": a cheap feel-good bullying opportunity that's only socially acceptable right now because he's on the hook.
- jacobolus 9y ago
  Some people have a career in building new things or inventing things. Other people have a career in connecting people together, or writing criticism of things other people have built, or writing documentation or other kinds of exposition, or interviewing, or doing investigative reporting, or editing, or building communities, or ... John Gruber does not sell himself as a programmer or computer scientist or technical wunderkind. He was able to cobble together a little ad-hoc specification and perl script (markdown) that works for him, and many other people like it (because it’s great at what it does!), but I have never heard him introduce himself as “hi, I’m the brilliant inventor of markdown, that technical masterwork”, or whatever. He has made his career in writing, which in his case is some mix of criticism, journalism, and surfacing interesting stuff from around the web. He’s quite good at his job, which is why many people read his blog.
- vermontdevil 9y ago
  I have no problem with evangelism of tech products like Scoble or Guy Kawasaki or Paul Thurrott. Hate when people diss ones educational or working background to make a point. Scoble did a horrific thing at the Foo Camp and who knows at other times and that should be the focus.

He invented markdown, which isn't much of an "invention." Similar simplified markup existed at the time, like bbcode and wikitext. His CS degree is fairly rudimentary. He is famous entirely for writing fawningly about Apple products, which appeals to people who need others' validation to justify their purchases.

KGIII 9y ago
He was a Microsoft MVP award winner for a couple of years. I win the award a number of times, back when I was still using Windows, and he was around back then. I'll avoid offering my own impressions except to say he reminded me of the Lockergnome guy.
accordionclown 9y ago
gruber didn't "invent" markdown. he took the idea from dean allen, who had created "textile" (which was featured in the movabletype blogging-system gruber used). gruber reworked that idea slightly, then released it with a catchy name, and somehow received all the credit. as for gruber's blog, i would say it is evenhanded and informative, albeit focused on apple and its products. the blog is certainly not "fawning", and i think most apple-buyers feel no need to "justify" their purchases.
- lern_too_spel 9y ago
  Markdown is as different from Textile as it is from Wikitext, which is another precursor I mentioned. Evenhanded and informative? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9345962 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9345962 Any time Apple has a product in a space where there are other competitors, Apple's products are magically always the best in Gruber's blog.
  - accordionclown 9y ago
    i'm sure very few people care that you and i disagree.

always_good 9y ago

That's kind of the point. Those are relatively rudimentary things that don't make them an Apple expert. Yet tech communities like HN sponge up every one of their posts. They were just great at self-promotion. Though, this isn't a fair time to be lumping them in with Scoble. In fact, I think this top thread of "lol why is Scoble popular anyways?" is pretty lame and counter-productive. It's like "lol he has a stupid haircut anyways": a cheap feel-good bullying opportunity that's only socially acceptable right now because he's on the hook.

jacobolus 9y ago
Some people have a career in building new things or inventing things. Other people have a career in connecting people together, or writing criticism of things other people have built, or writing documentation or other kinds of exposition, or interviewing, or doing investigative reporting, or editing, or building communities, or ... John Gruber does not sell himself as a programmer or computer scientist or technical wunderkind. He was able to cobble together a little ad-hoc specification and perl script (markdown) that works for him, and many other people like it (because it’s great at what it does!), but I have never heard him introduce himself as “hi, I’m the brilliant inventor of markdown, that technical masterwork”, or whatever. He has made his career in writing, which in his case is some mix of criticism, journalism, and surfacing interesting stuff from around the web. He’s quite good at his job, which is why many people read his blog.
vermontdevil 9y ago
I have no problem with evangelism of tech products like Scoble or Guy Kawasaki or Paul Thurrott. Hate when people diss ones educational or working background to make a point. Scoble did a horrific thing at the Foo Camp and who knows at other times and that should be the focus.