4 ms·

Given that the Lynx browser (HTML in a text terminal) continues to function reasonably well, why is there any need for a different markup language?

• layer8 3y ago
  It helps for keeping the feature set limited. With HTML, the incentive to use a full-blown implementation is just too strong, and the risk of inconsistent implementations and deliberate or accidental extensions too high.
  • lobsterthief 3y ago
    You could also in theory just restrict which HTML elements can be used. You’d need to do that anyway for MD, especially since MD can contain HTML itself. I’m a huge fan of MD either way ;) I’ve built entire large sites where raw content is stored in MD (along with a MD WYSIWYG) and then the MD is converted to HTML. I’ve found it’s easier and more reliable to parse MD vs HTML, unless of course you’re using a block editor or something more structured.
    • layer8 3y ago
      > You could also in theory just restrict which HTML elements can be used. That’s not enough, because you also have to restrict what attributes they may carry (inline styles, event handlers), the type of meta tags and image formats, and so on. But in any case, such a restricted subset was what I was already presuming in my comment.
      • PaulDavisThe1st 3y ago
        You don't have to restrict them at all. You just ignore them.
        • layer8 3y ago
          That's what is meant by restricting.