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[asciidoc-wg] Announcing the relaunch of asciidoc.org

The asciidoc.org site has served as the landing page for the original AsciiDoc project for two decades. The time has come to align the site with the current state and direction of AsciiDoc. The aim of this effort is to present AsciiDoc in the best light and to provide an entry point into the AsciiDoc ecosystem for seasoned users and newcomers alike.

The AsciiDoc WG is excited to announce the relaunch of the asciidoc.org website!

https://asciidoc.org
asciidoc-org-screenshot.png

The idea of creating a shorthand format for DocBook named “AsciiDoc” was first conceived by Stuart Rackham in 2002. Now, two decades later, the evolved AsciiDoc language is being standardized at the Eclipse Foundation under the direction of the AsciiDoc Working Group (AsciiDoc WG) following the Eclipse Foundation Specification Process (EFSP).

As part of this initiative, supervision of the asciidoc.org domain and site has been transferred to the AsciiDoc WG. The site in its previous state was narrowly focused on the AsciiDoc.py project, the predecessor of modern AsciiDoc. This situation was not only confusing to visitors, it was a missed opportunity to present AsciiDoc as we know it today and where it's headed. The AsciiDoc WG has been collaborating for several quarters to address this situation.

The first task was to establish a visual identity for the AsciiDoc brand. With the help of Ura Design, that work was completed in Feb 2022, thus paving the way for the asciidoc.org refresh.

asciidoc-logo.png

Again in collaboration with Ura Design, we developed a new design and content for a single-page site, which Guillaume Grossetie then transformed into a working static site. The source of the site is managed as an open source project in the asciidoc.org repository (hosted on Eclipse's GitLab instance).

The purpose of the relaunched site is to serve as an implementation-agnostic entry point into the AsciiDoc ecosystem. For visitors of the site who arrive curious to learn about AsciiDoc, we want to draw them in, engage them, educate them, and provide jumping off points where they can find more information.

The site will host the canonical description of AsciiDoc, showcase and advocate for the technology, and provide a roadmap to connect visitors with key resources. Among those resources are links to the AsciiDoc WG and language specification project, the language documentation, and other tools and resources, including language processors.

Following the canonical description, the site features the member organizations on the AsciiDoc WG Specification Committee along with other organizations that have played a key role in AsciiDoc's history. It then goes on to showcase several notable uses of AsciiDoc to give visitors an impression of what can be achieved with AsciiDoc.

showcase-screenshot.png

The new site aims to set AsciiDoc apart from other markup languages by providing a single, curated source where newcomers can start exploring the language and ecosystem. To that end, the site features an interactive editor (powered by Asciidoctor.js) that allows visitors to experience AsciiDoc without having to install any software, as shown here:

try-it-now-screenshot.png

The site also provides side-by-side comparisons with other popular documentation languages to help visitors see how AsciiDoc stacks up and saves you typing.

language-comparison-screenshot.png

Finally, the site provides a link to a new directory of software and resources that support the AsciiDoc ecosystem named Awesome AsciiDoc. This directory (still in its early stages) is curated by the AsciiDoc WG as a service to the AsciiDoc community. Its intent is to promote AsciiDoc and related technologies by identifying projects that support and benefit the AsciiDoc ecosystem. Please note that an entry in this directory does not equate to an endorsement that the software is AsciiDoc compatible as defined by the Eclipse Foundation Specification Process (EFSP) for the AsciiDoc Language.

The new site will continue to redirect well-indexed URLs that are specific to AsciiDoc.py to https://asciidoc-py.github.io to minimize disruption for that project.

Following this launch, the AsciiDoc WG will continue to explore ways to make this site a useful resource for the AsciiDoc community. If you have feedback, please feel free to share it in this thread or by submitting an issue to the issue tracker for the site.

Best Regards,

-Dan

--
Dan Allen, Vice President | OpenDevise Inc.
Pronouns: he, him, his
Content ∙ Strategy ∙ Community
opendevise.com

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