The previous post asked, “Do spreadsheets define data analysis?” This one asks the more fundamental question: “What is data analysis in the first place?”

Technologies that change the world do not always get glossy press statements. Instead, they do so quietly and with the power of the community: this is the story of Markdown.

Today we introduce a new series on doing things in plain text. This way, as a textsmith, you do not have to rely on proprietary formats to be productive.