I think it's reasonably clear what has happened. What is less clear to me is why the Comdard Markdown (which is what I think I'll call it from now on) folks ar

I think it's reasonably clear what has happened. What is less clear to me is why the Comdard Markdown (which is what I think I'll call it from now on) folks are so desperate to choose a name that delegitimizes other versions of markdown, including the original. And now that they've chosen a second name that does the same (although not quite as blatantly), it's clearly not accidental. Even people like me who broadly agree with almost everything they've said and tend towards their side in this debate can see it's not a classy move. No reasonable person could have disagreed with calling it something entirely new. Some people could have disagreed with calling it something that indicates it's a kind of markdown but doesn't try to usurp the whole ecosystem (eg. X flavoured markdown). I presume Gruber would have still been irritated that it isn't a superset, but most people would have thought it was acceptable given the situation. Choosing any name with connotations like 'standard', 'basic', 'definitive', 'normal', 'authentic', 'original', 'true', 'certified', 'ratified' or yes, 'common' is pushing the limits of good taste.