How to make Markdown Footnotes start at Zero in WordPress
By @edent
· footnotes HTML markdown WordPress · 5 comments · 200 words
As a dedicated and professional computer scientician0, I believe that all indices must start at zero. Not one, not two, but zero1.
The zeroth2 element is sacrosanct to our creed; for in the beginning there was nothing.
If you're using WordPress's JetPack, it uses an ancient version of Markdown Extra. You can either monkeypatch this, or install a separate Markdown plugin.
I've patched my fork of it in two specific places.
Firstly, I set $this->footnote_counter = 0; in the initial config of the footnotes.
Secondly, I changed the display so that the ordered list began from zero: <ol start="0">
Wait… should that be zerothly and firstly?
There's no way to change footnote links to symbols like * or ♪. Perhaps I'll add that next😉?
Anyway, I enjoy hacking around on my theme.
@Edent 🫡 for the Monty Python reference
I just heard a talk from an engineer at an email service about their signing key transparency log
They put up a picture of how the log was designed
It started from 1
The next 5 minutes of the talk were interspersed with apologies for this "historic mistake"...
@blog
Just going to note that our very first programming language, FORTRAN, uses 1-indexed arrays and matrices.
I'm not saying it is *right*, or *sane*, but it is what it is. Computer Science has its own original sin.
Bonus points for holy hand grenade of Antioch reference.
I wonder what the accessibility implications of this are, for non-coders?
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