If it is worth keeping, save it in Markdown
A compelling argument for using Markdown as a universal preservation format, highlighting the ephemeral nature of digital content and the need for durable, human-readable formats.
tl;dr
Digital content constantly disappears through link rot, service shutdowns, and format obsolescence. Markdown offers the best solution for long-term preservation - it's human-readable, machine-parseable, and follows the 'rule of least power' principle.
My Thoughts
Simple yet true: web content disappears constantly. I’ve experienced this firsthand with thousands of lost bookmarks from Hacker News. Plain text, however, remains readable and searchable as long as computers exist. When I encounter valuable content, I make a copy. The article also references the rule of least power (choosing the least powerful computer language suitable for a given purpose), which perfectly applies to Markdown’s design philosophy.
This is my personal commentary on the original article. Please read the original article for the full context.