Timwi wrote:
There is no other way I can imagine that people seriously prefer <math>x^2</math> over simple-and-quick [!x^2!] or [$x^2$] or whatever. Except for <rend type="math">, *all* proposed syntaxes are better than <math>.
Did you really want to bring this debate onto the list (again)?!
The simple answer is that <math> </math> is self-documenting. I look at [! !] and say "what does that mean?" and I look at <math> </math> and say "oh that must have something to do with math."
The reason that non-savvy users might prefer <math>x^2</math> is that it requires understanding the concept of markup, a concept which most people learn in the context of HTML, and the very first thing you learn when you attempt to learn HTML is that things are enclosed in things that look like <something> </something>. That's why <math></math> is preferable to something like [! !], because it looks to most people what their idea of "markup" is. So even if a user knows only one thing about how HTML works, chances are it'll be enough for them to intuitively understand <math></math>. On the other hand, although [! !] is simple and/or quick, it is intuitive to no one.
- David