---
title: "Spotlighting LaTeX, commenting, and more"
tags: en, product
description: "Explore LaTeX for online math, HackMD's new commenting system, and practical guides for team adoption and project post-mortems in February's Markdown Memo."
image: "https://hackmd.io/_uploads/Bku3rlOia.jpg"
author: Rachellynn
summary: February's edition of the Markdown Memo digs into LaTeX and HackMD's new commenting system. Discover guides to aid team adoption and project post-mortems. And catch up on all the latest industry insights.
date: "2024-02-15"
---

Welcome back to HackMD's Markdown Memo -- your insider pass too all things markdown.

This month's edition covers the latest product updates, LaTeX -- what it is and how you can use it in your documents, industry news, and more.

Let's dig in!

---

### 🌟 Visionary voices

- @CynthiaChuang compiled an extensive list of [commonly used LaTeX mathematical symbol commands](https://hackmd.io/@CynthiaChuang/Basic-LaTeX-Commands). It's thorough!
- @Domothy from the Ethereum Foundation made updates to [the Annotated Ethereum Roadmap](https://twitter.com/domothy/status/1595950421855567873), a living document of their progress and goals.
- @Adamhurwitz created an @Openinfo Design doc detailing different [open source design apps](https://twitter.com/adamshurwitz/status/1753815160840483047).

### 📄 Product updates
#### A new era of commenting

Starting Tuesday February 20th, [HackMD will launch a new commenting feature and sunset the legacy commenting structure](https://blog.hackmd.io/blog/2024/02/06/a-new-era-of-commenting).

Over the past few months, we've been heads down iterating and meeting with you to build a product that will level up your collaboration.

So what can you expect from the new commenting system?

A smoother interface, more interactive functionality, and a suite of features designed to elevate your experience.

Specifically...
- Notifications for new comments
- Improved comment viewing
- Dedicated side panel
- Emoji reactions
- Hybrid mode
- And more

### 🖋️ From the blog
#### LaTeX demystified
Simply put, [LaTeX is a powerful tool](https://blog.hackmd.io/blog/2023/12/07/demystifying-latex-future-online-mathematics) that easily brings otherwise written mathematical notation into the online realm.

This enables authors to incorporate mathematical speak into their web content, offering a dynamic and visually appealing representation that closely mirrors its traditional handwritten sibling.

For educators and students, it enables the creation of interactive learning materials, a more intuitive representation of concepts, lecture notes, and digital textbooks with clear, beautifully rendered mathematical equations.

LaTeX also serves as a powerful ally for researchers and scientists, offering a suite of tools to streamline the documentation and dissemination of mathematical content.

And you can utilize LaTeX in your HackMD documents. We [continue to push improvements](https://blog.hackmd.io/blog/2023/11/28/effortless-editing-mathjax-revealjs-hackmd-updates) so you have only the best experience.

--

#### Convince your team to join HackMD
Convincing your team to adopt a productivity tool isn't always easy. We get it.

You know your team’s current processes are riddled with inefficiencies, making everyone’s job unnecessarily difficult. But changing course as a team is difficult to accomplish.

That’s why we [compiled a list of pro-tips](https://blog.hackmd.io/blog/2024/01/18/convince-team-use-hackmd) designed to help you convince your team to break out of their routine and embrace a better way of working.

--

#### 5 steps for a successful post-mortem report
You could spend countless hours coming up against the same issues in your project processes time after time or you could tackle them head on with project post-mortems.

A project post-mortem is a reflection and analysis held after the completion of a project, bringing all key stakeholders into the fold. It's a moment to review, dissect, and learn from the highs and lows of the development process.

[Learn the benefits](https://blog.hackmd.io/blog/2024/01/24/project-post-mortem-5-steps-successful-report) of implementing post-mortems into your project scope and 5 steps for an impactful report.

### 📰 Industry news and trends

- [Farcaster is marrying social media and web3](https://blockworks.co/news/farcaster-blockchain-onboarding) to onboard the masses.
- Google [renames it's AI search assistant, Bard, to Gemini](https://sdtimes.com/google-renames-bard-launches-gemini-advanced-offering-and-announces-new-gemini-app-for-android-and-ios/) and launches it's Pro 1.0 model.
- Blockworks' 0xResearch roundtable podcast dives into [why the next Ethereum upgrade will ignite layer 2 ecosystems](https://blockworks.co/podcast/0xresearch/fd5c8f16-cadb-11ee-83ef-c7cc7bd740a8).
- OpenText unveils [next-gen cybersecurity auditing technology](https://www.developer-tech.com/news/2024/feb/06/opentext-unveils-next-gen-cybersecurity-auditing-technology/), aimed to help devs build more secure software.
- Linux foundation [forms the Post-Quantum Cryptography Alliance](https://sdtimes.com/linux-foundation/linux-foundation-forms-post-quantum-cryptography-alliance/) in response to emerging threats of quantum computing.
- Apple's 'Vision Pro' is set to get it's [first crypto-focused metaverse app](https://www.coindesk.com/business/2024/02/02/apples-vision-pro-set-to-get-first-metaverse-app-from-victoria-vr/) from Victoria VR.
- Forrester predicts [three possible outcomes for the future of low-code](https://sdtimes.com/low-code/forrester-predicts-three-possible-outcomes-for-the-future-of-low-code/).

---

And that's a wrap on this month's edition of the Markdown Memo. Want us to highlight a topic or community member specifically? Respond to this email and let us know!

In the meantime...

We can't wait to see what you create,
The HackMD Team