[Pmwiki-users] the descriptions of emphasis

[Tom Holroyd]

I certainly agree, 1) html is not enough, and 2) it has its 
problems.

Special features, like (:searchbox:), are quite reasonable.
They aren't just shortcuts; they add functionality, since they 
can call arbitrary php code (or rather, that is possible).

http://www.pmwiki.org/wiki/PmWiki/PmWikiPhilosophy #2 is right 
on.  Yes.

I'd add that if you want to make the editing environment simple, 
then what you can accomplish is going to be simple, so live with 
that and don't try to create an elaborate, new, ad-hoc syntax.

One of the benefits of html/xml is that it is extensible.  In 
keeping with that philosophy, I think PmWiki already has enough 
mechanisms so that people can create custom markup, with things 
like (:css ...:), etc.

I don't want to have to remember /*' weird markup rules `*\.
One or two delimiters, like (: and %, plus extensibility, should 
be enough.

And I don't see why <em>emphasis</em> should be disallowed.  
It's simple. (:em emphasis:)?  %em% emphasis %%?

Dr. Tom Holroyd
"A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and
are the portals of discovery." -- James Joyce