Markdown formatting on Facebook? Is it real?

So I was minding my own business on Facebook (read: spamming the shit out of anyone who’d want to come to my They Might Be Giants piano happy hour) when I noticed something.

On events pages, there’s a button I haven’t noticed before.

Wait… is that… Markdown?

On Facebook?

Ye Gods, is it true?

Yep, it’s true. There’s my post.

I went on a Googling spree to see if this was a feature that was already there or if I was just ignoring that little button down there all along. Nope, looks like it’s new. A Twitter search revealed more people discovering this little but powerful button.

I tried to see if any other Facebook feature had this button. I tried groups, pages and profile updates, even notes. Nada. So far I am only seeing this for events. (Notes has its own formatting going on.)

I know Facebook sometimes releases features to a select few, in limited ways, just to see if anyone notices.

Well, I’m noticing. And I am hoping this is a feature that will be implemented in more places than just event walls.

Formatting is a big missing part of content creation on Facebook. And it would make sense strategically if Facebook were to move in that direction. With all their recent changes, they want to eat the lunch of every other social media platform out there. They did a decent job a while back with formatting on the relaunched Notes, trying to outdo this very Medium here. But it’s still not often used.

I’m also sure they’re quietly releasing some new features that will be announced later today at f8. Here’s what Buffer says marketers should know about the f8 conference.

I’m watching…