Tina B's Barrel 'o Blogs

HTML vs WritiingML

Just yesterday I sent in a comment to the technical side of the house complaining about the "language" here on WDC. I called it, mistakenly HTML, but was kindly corrected. It's WritingML here, thank you very much (Spelled out, Writing Mark-Up Language).

Either way.

They are BOTH a Mark-Up LANGUAGE!!!!!

I came to this English dominated website to write and express myself in my native tongue, and what do I get? A new language to learn! And yes it is a new language. Back when Pluto was a Planet and I took my first computer class, my professor told me to be prepared to treat his class like a foreign language course.

Two kind hearted folks answered my comment very positively, explaining that really it's not HTML, but so much easier. One gave me a link to a guide for using WritiingML, that I have now renamed the Fucking Textbook. Another kind soul told me that he's been using WritingML for years, and it's super easy now! Yes, and 2+X=8 is easy for me now too. But the first time I saw it. I panicked...Bad. I think that might have even been my first use of the F-Bomb.

In case I ever forget though, here's what WritingML looked like to me as a Newbie:

Newbie Nightmare #1:
I just completed my first poem ever (OK, my first poem on WDC) and I'm ready to submit it to my first contest. I go to the correct page looking for either the empty box with "browse" beside it, or the large text field to copy and paste my poem and,
{b-item:huh?} It took me about 30 minutes to figure out how to post it!

Newbie Nightmare #2:
I had just finished a short story for the Writer's Cramp. I go to make a static item, copy and paste all 999 words, and clicked save. I went to review it, thank God, and saw I had lost ALL my formatting. Or rather, I lost the ONE THING I had formatted, which was all my indentation. So now I have one 999 word paragraph! {language: inappropriate} WHAT THE FUCK!!!! {/language: inappropriate}

Newbie Nightmare #3: (the catalyst that lead me to the forum post).
I wanted a nice template to do reviews. I like doing reviews. I am learning from doing reviews. So I discovered the NotePad and started my own "template." The WritingML soon grew out of hand. And I was NOT excessively formatting my review template! Two colors, the title and footer centered and a couple of stupid flowers. Every time I used it, there was a glitch. All the reviews I did on 26 Feb are a bloody WritingML mess. Then to actually use my template, well, it was impossible to wade through all the garbage that was WritingML to type in my thoughts in ENGLISH! {eye:tears}{nose:sniff}(lip:quiver}

Then...

Newbie Nightmare #4:
I discover there is an actually Review Template somewhere on this website. I haven't found it yet, but "Hope springs eternal."