Why do Programmers Prefer Markdown to Plain Text or Word?

Markdown did not become popular because of its superior formatting capabilities. Instead, its success lies in how well it integrates with Git for version control while allowing users to focus on content rather than formatting. To understand why Markdown gained such widespread adoption, we first need to examine the evolution of document formats.

In the early days, people simply needed to record text, which led to the creation of plain text (txt) files. These were lightweight and universally readable, but they lacked any formatting, making them difficult to structure and read. As secretaries and office workers realized the need for basic formatting — such as font styles, sizes, and alignment — the rich text format (rtf) emerged, providing enhanced text styling while remaining relatively lightweight. However, as formatting needs became more complex, including headers, footers, and mathematical equations, a more powerful document format was required, leading to the development of Microsoft Word’s doc format.

While Word documents offered advanced formatting, they also introduced significant drawbacks: increased file size, complex structures, and compatibility issues between different software versions. With the rise of the internet, developers realized that these heavy document formats were inefficient for web-based content…