hmm... an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain-text format that's a precursor to HTML but not HTML? what about notepad? what about bluefish, or homesite? is it really valid XHTML, or is it only "structurally" valid? and what's so "easy" about their "markdown" that's not also easy about the HTML that their "markdown" turns into?

i'm going to have to give this a low score... i don't see any point in learning a markup language that allows you to mark up a document in a form other than what it's going to be marked up in when you're finished.

confused yet?