##Experiments with Markdown##
After hearing about Markdown from [David Sparks][ds], [Merlin Mann][mm], and [Eddie Smith][es], I decided they must onto something with these. So I’ve decided to experiment.
It turns out that [Markdown][markdownsite] is a type of code. It is a distilled essence of communication. It actually speaks to me a bit in the same sense as MIDI.
[MIDI][midiwiki], or Musical Instrument Digital Interface, is a musical language that essentially represents the music. Any language, for that matter, is a representation of some sort. MIDI, however, is meant to be directly translated and readable by a non-human computing device into its intended sound. For instance, using numbers to represent each volume, start, stop, patch (which sound on the synthesizer), a sound may be played. It takes the essence of the information of sound, without the actual sound files themselves, and uses those as the points of communication.
Markdown is similar in that it is a distilled type of communication that eventually can become the code seen in a post. In fact, I’m writing this post in Markdown. I’ve even installed a [wordpress plugin that translates markdown][wpplugin] directly into site to translate the markdown code into usable html.
If you’re at all interested in learning about using it and (a bit about Notational Velocity, too), check out a the [main site][markdownsite] and a very nice video done by Eddie of [PracticallyEfficient.com][es]:
For extra credit, check out [the video on integration with LaunchBar and TextExpander][movie2], too.
[mm]: http://merlinmann.com/
[es]: http://practicallyefficient.com/
[ds]: http://macpowerusers.com/
[wpplugin]: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/markdown-for-wordpress-and-bbpress/
[markdownsite]: http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/
[midiwiki]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_Instrument_Digital_Interface
[movie1]: http://www.vimeo.com/21640629
[movie2]: http://www.vimeo.com/21877731
