[sgc]

Agreed. There is actually a lot better control in openoffice / libreoffice than most people know. You just have to set up your styles and be systematic about (virtually) never using direct formatting, instead always applying a pre-configured style. There is a distinct value in seeing your final product as you work, when the final product is visual.

[masfuerte]

And if you define shortcut keys for your styles it's as quick to type as markdown.

[noosphr]

This is more of a utopia than expecting the average office drone to learn emacs.