IBWCL is REQUIRED reading for anybody intending to study compsci or work with computers in any capacity. It's dated, but it explains the principles of open source, UI, and abstraction clearly and simply. These are all things that you Need to Know.
What does markdown have to do with text layout? It basically acts like a lightweight, readable version of html. If you don't like how it renders, render it some other way.
You can see this with all the CLI tools being introduced for traditional programs. I suppose people appreciate control and automation.