- The document discusses leaving Microsoft Word for other writing applications that are better suited for web writing and collaboration. It highlights issues with Word's copy/paste functionality for the web and lack of version control. - Several alternative applications and formats are mentioned, including text editors, writing apps, note-taking apps, and Markdown/MultiMarkdown, which allow writing in plain text and converting to HTML. - Markdown is presented as a simpler formatting syntax compared to HTML, allowing bold, italics, lists and links to be written easily without tags. MultiMarkdown adds more features like footnotes and tables.

1. Breaking up with
Microsoft Word"
#AustinContent @claydelk!

2. Breaking up with
Microsoft Word"
(or at least seeing other applications)!
#AustinContent @claydelk!

3. The"
Why I want to leave"
of"

4. The"
Why I want to leave"
- Web writing: Copy/paste issues!
!
!

5. “Microsoft Word is a fine word processor
for producing documents to be shared or
printed, with a wealth of print-based
options for indexing, and producing table
of contents.
As a web publishing tool it is a little less
than ideal and produces very messy
HTML. The same applies when using
OpenOffice, or other word processors.”
"
http://en.support.wordpress.com/microsoft-word/!

6. The"
Why I want to leave"
- Web writing: Copy/paste issues!
!
- Collaboration: version control,
consistency"
!
!

8. The"
Why I want to leave"
- Web writing: Copy/paste issues!
!
- Collaboration: version control,
consistency!
!
- Accessibility: multiple
computers, mobile, tablet, etc."
!

10. The"
If you use something
else, why did you
leave?"
!

11. The"
Why I’ll probably stay"
!

12. The"
Why I’ll probably stay"
- Tracking changes: feedback vs.
collaboration"
!
!

13. The"
Why I’ll probably stay"
- Tracking changes: feedback vs.
collaboration!
!
- Ubiquity: people have it, know
how to use it, require it"
!

14. The"
Why I’ll probably stay"
- Tracking changes: feedback vs.
collaboration!
!
- Ubiquity: everyone has it, knows
how to use it!
!
- Inertia: habit, familiarity "
!

15. The"
Why are you
committed to Word?"
!

16. "
There are other fish in
the sea"

17. "
Other fish:"
- Text editors: MS Text Editor, OSX TextEdit!
!
- Writing apps: "
- ByWord http://bywordapp.com/!
!
- IA Writer http://www.iawriter.com/!
!
!
"

18. "
Other fish:"
!
- Note taking apps: "
- Notational Velocity (I use a version
called nvALT)
http://brettterpstra.com/projects/nvalt/
http://notational.net/!
- Evernote http://www.evernote.com!
"

19. "
Other fish:"
!
- Writing programs: "
- Scrivener
http://www.literatureandlatte.com/!
- Google Docs!
- LibreOffice!
"
- Hosted solutions: "
- Gather Content
https://gathercontent.com/!
- DivvyHQ http://www.divvyhq.com/!
"
"

20. "
Markdown & "
MultiMarkdown"

21. “Markdown is a text-to-HTML
conversion tool for web writers.
Markdown allows you to write using
an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain
text format, then convert it to
structurally valid XHTML (or HTML).”"
Markdown creator John Gruber!
http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/!
!

22. So instead of this:"
"
<p>In order to create valid !
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML">HTML</a>, you !
need properly coded syntax that can be cumbersome for !
&#8220;non-programmers&#8221; to write. Sometimes, you!
just want to easily make certain words <strong>bold!
</strong>, and certain words <em>italicized</em> without!
having to remember the syntax. Additionally, for example,!
creating lists:</p>!
!
<ul>!
<li>should be easy</li>!
<li>should not involve programming</li>!
</ul>!
MultiMarkdown creator Fletcher Penney!
http://fletcherpenney.net/multimarkdown/!
!

23. You simply write:"
"
In order to create valid [HTML], you need properly!
coded syntax that can be cumbersome for !
"non-programmers" to write. Sometimes, you just want!
to easily make certain words **bold**, and certain !
words *italicized* without having to remember the !
syntax. Additionally, for example, creating lists:!
!
* should be easy!
* should not involve programming!
!
[HTML]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML!
MultiMarkdown creator Fletcher Penney!
http://fletcherpenney.net/multimarkdown/!

24. Basic Syntax"
"
#This is an H1!
##This is an H2!
###This is an H3… etc.!
!
*italics*!
**bold**!
!
> A blockquote is!
> offset like this.!
!
* This a bullet!
- So is this!
+ Or this.!
! Markdown creator John Gruber!
" http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/!

25. Basic Syntax"
"
1. Numbered lists work like expected.!
1. But you can actually just do the same number.!
1. And it will keep numbering in the output.!
!
!
[This is how you start a hyperlink]
(www.ThenIncludetheURL.com)!
!
!
Or you can just mark the [link text]!
And reference at the bottom [link text]: www.URL.com “URL
Title”!
!
" Markdown creator John Gruber!
http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/!

26. MultiMarkdown adds to the basic Markdown syntax:"
"
• footnotes"
• tables"
• citations and bibliography"
• math support"
• automatic cross-referencing ability"
• smart typography, with support for multiple languages"
• image attributes"
• table and image captions"
• definition lists"
• glossary entries (LaTeX only)"
• document metadata (e.g. title, author, etc.)"
"
MultiMarkdown creator Fletcher Penney!
http://fletcherpenney.net/multimarkdown/!

27. "
Compatibility:"
- Notational Velocity"
- ByWord"
- IA Writer"
- Scrivener"
- Wordpress / Drupal (with plugins)!

28. "
"
What are you using?"

29. "
"
Thanks!"