Most people who referred to notepad (myself included), were really talking about Notepad++, which with plugins is a very satisfactory non-wysiwyg solution (syntax highlighting and formatting, code completion, text comparison, regex builder, and tons more…). Just saying… :x
exactly. i did a search on this page first for the word brain before posting that answer. someone commented on this answer as if it were a joke. it’s anything but a joke. a brain and the use of is precisely what’s necessary to make a successful website, assuming successful in some way requires actions of some other people which is what most definitions of successful in connection with a website includes. without an idea it doesn’t matter which software you’re using or not using. with an idea, it’s just a matter of implementing it; which ever software can do it is the one to choose; which precise piece of software doesn’t matter hardly at all. it’s the idea which matters.
and assuming “action” encompasses activities such as “enjoy” and “understand”
I must be insane, then. I use Notepad, plain and simple, and it works fine for me. I don’t need syntax highlighting or any other special features. Have used it to build a couple of multiple-user CMS, and didn’t have any problems.
> and assuming “action” encompasses activities such as “enjoy” and “understand”
yup for sure – if that’s the goal behind a particular site. of course for that to happen these people, who ever they are, will need to visit the site then participate/engage with it for a while. that’s obvious but so many people who make a site start off with the assumption that attention is a given (then wonder why it never materialised). also they may start off thinking the software used to make the site is in some way critical, without grasping the importance of an idea – as if if it just looks good, or is just technically correct / accomplished, it’ll be successful.
… assuming “participate/engage” encompasses the simple act of viewing the site
sorry, i’m not a 100% sure what you’re driving at? they’ll be a wide variety of definitions of success for a website. i think you’re pointing towards one kind of many kinds of goals: a site for it’s own sake but also, in addition to that, to be visited by some people, nothing more. and you’re implying (possibly, i could easily be going right off course here) for that, some great idea isn’t required really? maybe, maybe not (attention is not a given). if you resuce the goal of a website to something less and less, the smallest would be simply: a website, up online. for that no idea is necessary and you’ll succeed quite easily; you’re almost guaranteed success. really depends greatly on the goal (definition of success) right? the less ambitious you are, the less involvement from other people you require, the less an idea is required to achieve your goal. seems to me, most people who want a website actually require more than a website, and that always in my limited experience involves some actions/attention of some sort of other people.
by george, i think you got it 
i’m glad i’ve got it