March 27, 2023

Start using Markdown

What is Markdown?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language for creating formatted text using a plain-text editor¹. The authors of the markup language write that “Markdown allows you to write using an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format”². They add that, “readability is emphasized above all else. A Markdown-formatted document should be publishable as-is, as plain text”.

Why use Markdown?

I am assuming the reader of this blog post has been using word processor (e.g., Word, LibreOffice) so far.

Word processors are what some call WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), meaning that the activity of writing text, that is actually typing your text, and the activity of formatting text, that is editing your text in the form of a letter, a C.V. or whatever you want your text to look like, are done in one single programme. What you see is what you get…

Another way to produce a document is first to write, in the text editor of your choice, then, to format the text using another programme. That is where Markdown comes into use. You can write using Markdown’s syntax in plain text, then, use Pandoc to convert your Markdown document into a pdf or else. That is it. No more word processor. To learn more about Pandoc: https://yctct.com/use-pandoc.

Markdown syntax

# That is a H1 title 

That is a H1 title

## That is a H2 title 

That is a H2 title

### That is a H3 title

That is a H3 title

Also H1 title
==============

Also H1 title

A H2 title
-----------

A H2 title

*Use asterisks to italicize text.*

Use asterisks to italicize text.

_Underscores also work to italicize text._

Underscores also work to italicize text.

**Use two asterisks to in bold.**

Use two asterisks to write in bold.

~~User tildes to strikethrough text.~~

User tildes to strikethrough text.

You can comment out text by framming it between <code><!--</code> and <code>--></code>, like this: <!--
N.B. commented text will not appear once you convert out from Markdown!-->.

You can comment out text by framing it between <!– and –>, like this: .

This sentence terminates in the footnote^[here.] 

This sentence terminates in the footnote³

You can also use numbers to write footnotes^[2].
[2]: second footnote

You can also use numbers to write footnotes⁴.

Numbered list:

1. first bullet point
1. second bullet point (notice: it is still number 1)
1. third bullet  point
    * indent bullet point

1. first bullet point
2. second bullet point (notice: it is still number 1)
3. third bullet point
   • indent bullet point

Unnumbered list:

* one 
* two 
* three 

• one
• two
• three

You can also use hyphens:

- one 
- two 
- three

• one

• two

• three

  ``` Use at least three backtick marks for code blocks on multiple lines. ```

Use at least three backtick marks
for code blocks
on multiple lines.

Use one tab or four spaces for single-line code block.

    Use one tab or four spaces for single-line code block.

Use `backtick marks` to indicate `code` within a paragraph.

Use backtick marks to indicate code within a paragraph.

> a quote 
>
> > a nested quote
>
> a second paragraph within a quote

a quote

a nested quote

a second paragraph within a quote

[An hyperlink with a title - hoover on it](https://yctct.com/ "yctct")

A hyperlink with a title - hover on it

[An hyperlink with no title](https://yctct.com/)

A hyperlink with no title

To embed an image with a title:

![Alt text](/path/to/img.jpg "Title")

Without a title:

![Alt text](/path/to/img.jpg)

Produce a horizontal rule tag by placing three or more hyphens, asterisks, or underscores on a line with nothing else:

* * *
 
***
 
*****
 
- - -
 
---------------------------------------

---

You can find more information on the webpage the developers of Markdown, John Gruber and Aaron Swartz, published in 2004 when they released: https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/

Pandoc’s Markdown

Pandoc has an extended and slightly revised version of Markdown. To see Pandoc’s Markdown, in the shell (i.e. the terminal) run:

$ man pandoc

once the man page shows search for MARKDOWN by typing:

/MARDKOWN

to go directly to the Markdown section of Pandoc’s man page.

---

1. From Wikiless↩︎

2. John Gruber’s website↩︎

3. here.↩︎

4. 2↩︎

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I do self-funded research and I'm writing a book.

> What's the book about?

About technologies and agency.

Meaning, technologies can foster agency. No doubt. But I am also asking:

Can usage of technologies give us a sense of empowerment while in fact undermining our abilities?

I posted a summary of the prologue on the homepage: https://yctct.com/

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