----- Original Message -----
From: "Brion Vibber" <brion(a)pobox.com>
Requiring people to do all their document creation at
this level is
like asking people to punch binary ASCII codes into cards by hand -- it's
low-level grunt work that computers can handle for us. We have
keyboards and monitors to replace punchcards; not only has this let most people stop
worrying about memorizing ASCII code points, it's let us go beyond
fixed-width ASCII text (a monitor emulating a teletype, which was
really a friendlier version of punch cards) to have things like _graphics_.
Text can be in different sizes, different styles, and different languages. We
can see pictures; we can draw pictures; we can use colors and shapes to create
a far richer, more creative experience for the user.
None of which will be visible on phones from my Blackberry on down, which,
IIRC, make up more than 50% of the Internet access points on the planet.
Minimalism is your friend; I can presently *edit* wikipedia on that BB,
with no CSS, JS, or images. That's A Good Thing.
Cheers,
-- jra