Markdown and the Slow Fade of the Formatting Fetish

Metadata

• Author: iA
• Full Title: Markdown and the Slow Fade of the Formatting Fetish
• Category: #articles
• Summary:: Markdown is slowly replacing old document formats like .docx, allowing users to focus on writing rather than formatting. It promotes clarity and structured thinking, making it popular in modern apps and among younger audiences. As Markdown becomes more widespread, it encourages better communication by shifting attention from appearances to content.
• URL: https://ia.net/topics/markdown-and-the-slow-fade-of-the-formatting-fetish

Highlights

• Using Word, you come to think that writing means choosing fonts. From the beginning, Word uses a proportional, finished font. Instead of thinking about what to say, users were trained to concentrate on how it looks. (View Highlight)
• is the King-Kong of bad design, thumping his chest for decades. And while all of them are slowly dying, they’re still omnipresent, at work, at home—and at school. (View Highlight)
• Learning is painful. Thinking is like sports. You might get into the flow and enjoy it. You might even get a runner’s high. It’s pleasant to keep getting better at it. But, usually, it only feels really great after you’re done with it. Instead of engaging in genuine thought, writing, and learning, you can now fully embrace the role of an office worker—mastering the art of appearing knowledgeable without true understanding. Finally, you can devote yourself entirely to formatting and the façade of productivity. In fact, with the advent of Copilot, even these tasks can be automated. Your presence is no longer required. The latest iteration of Word completes this descent into the abyss: (View Highlight)
• Not everybody wants to learn. Microsoft Office works in an office where you pretend to work until you can finally go home. There is no other app that can make you look so busy and serious doing nothing and saying nothing as PowerPoint. It’s a pro tool for creating bullshit. (View Highlight)