This is a loose slide deck from our Austin Content meetup with the same name.

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!"