It really doesn't count if 2,000 web fora use this "bbcode" thing, there are a hundred million websites out there and they *ALL* use HTML, even the ones that are entirely Flash-based.

It also doesn't matter how easy it is to learn or use, the point is that it's different to everywhere else that I use. I can post HTML on LJ, on Myspace, on my homepage, on my home webserver, on my client's machines, on CD-ROMs and I know that any computer with a GUI anywhere in the world will be able to render it. This BBCode thing is a peculiarity of web-based message boards, which are a miserable abomination compared to proper threaded conferencing systems like CoSy, Usenet and so on anyway.

I think from the look of this that I'm going to stick to my 30-odd mailing lists, Slashdot (which uses HTML), OSnews, CIX, LJ, Orkut, Myspace and all the other fora in which I participate, I'm afraid.

If I can't even update my own blog on Daniweb without using the standard language of the *entire world-wide web* then I'm afraid I really don't see why I should bother.

This may seem like a small niggle from a newbie to you, but it's not, honestly. Favouring proprietary formats over standards, even widely-used proprietary formats, is always a Bad Thing. Heed my words!