Markdown Instructions for Bullet Lists Is Incomplete

I almost never use markdown to make bulletpoint lists on OzBargain, but when I do, I often forget that if you're not starting your comment with a list then you need to add a blank line before the list for the markdown to format as a bulletpoint list. Otherwise you just see asterisks:
* Like this
* And this

I've read the rationale as to why most markdown languages have this rule (e.g. https://talk.commonmark.org/t/requiring-a-blank-line-between…), but one thing that's common to the internet is never informing newbies to this rule, even in a cheatsheet (I think even stackoverflow is guilty of this).

If there is a worldwide internet agreement to never mention markdown rules for lists (or Fight Club) then please ignore this comment and don't hurt me please.

Comments

  • There is a '> Formatting Help' expander below each new comment box. It becomes visible when you click into the box.

    • Yeah I know. The preceding blank line requirement is not written there (neither is the trailing blank line but the effects are more intuitive) .

      • There's also a guide for those interested here

        I agree with your sentiments though. Its not intuitive. But its there. Anyone who googles 'ozbargain advanced formatting' is likely to find it

        • Yeah that's what I thought was ironic. neil commented in 2013 about this (worldwide) non-intuitive behaviour, but it wasn't added to the latest wiki, and is in fact absent from most Markdown guides worldwide.

          As a little snarky joke, I challenge anyone to find the aforementioned help wiki from the homepage. No Google or sitemap allowed :)

        • +1

          @peterpeterpumpkin:

          As a little snarky joke, I challenge anyone to find the aforementioned help wiki from the homepage.

          It's on the help page, linked at the bottom of every page on OzBargain. ;)

  • :)

    • working
    • for
    • me
  • I'll add the space thing in somewhere to the help. It catches me out every once in a while as well.

    • Thanks neil. It may end up being the first Markdown guide in the world to mention it :)

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