Block quotes with a blank line between them get merged

[Jacob Rus]

John Gruber wrote:

> I think two blank lines should break one out of a list:

> 

>     *   First first

>     *   First second

>     *   First third

> 

> 

>     *   Second first

>     *   Second second

> 

> I.e. that should be two lists, not one.

> 

> This idea is also intertwined with the idea that there should be

> an alternate explicit syntax for code blocks, though, because

> otherwise what would happen if you were making a list where one of

> the items contained a code block with two blank lines?


That's easy; the user will remember to add spaces (or tabs) up to the 
indent which starts a code block.  For instance (where I'm highlighting 
spaces with a drawn glyph.  Interpret those as " ":

     This is some example markdown with blank lines in code blocks:

       * First first
       * First second

         First second has some paragraphs inside

         ␣␣␣␣a = {"and", "some", "code", "blocks"}
         ␣␣␣␣
         ␣␣␣␣
         ␣␣␣␣b = {"and", "some", "blank", "lines", "in", "those"}

       * First third

         ␣␣␣␣c = {"more", "random", "monospaced", "stuff"}

         ␣␣␣␣d = {"this", "one", "starts", "a", "new",
         ␣␣␣␣     "code block", "as there was a line before",
         ␣␣␣␣     "it", "without the requisite code block", "indent"}


       * Second first (note that the previous two lines are very empty)

I think that this interpretation is the logical (unambiguous, strict) 
interpretation of the official markdown spec.  In other words, if you 
intend to continue a code block, just keep the indent going.  If you 
intend to end it, then stop indenting.  Blank lines within the code 
block are then no problem.

Incidentally, I don't think that we need any more explicit symbolic 
marker for code blocks.  One of the things I most like about markdown's 
syntax is that a simple indentation puts us into a code block, without 
any unnecessary clutter.

-Jacob