Shouldn't be hard to create a GUI around it. Looks like audreyr started one, just needs some help. https://github.com/audreyr/sphinx-gui
# doc1, the destination
.. _introduction:
Introduction
---------------
asdf asdf…
# doc2, the source
In the :ref:`Intro <introduction>` or
simply :ref:`introduction`,
blah blah blah.
The biggest problem with the idea of getting people to make a new format is essentially this: https://xkcd.com/927/
What's to say the ultimate result will be something most think is usable? Design by commit is rarely the answer as well.
https://github.com/mbakeranalecta/sam/blob/7f9eece97b30a2a5f...
It is like YAML+Markdown+(Custom Schema for Semantics). They are also considering embedding LaTeX document, not replacing LaTeX. "Lightweight" as they said.
In the meantime, checkout Madoko: https://www.madoko.net -- some research folks at Microsoft basically made an extensible markdown format that compiles nicely to Latex or Word (-ish).
Now I wonder...
NSF has these big cyberinfrastructure programs. I wonder what they'd say if you proposed such a thing.
http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=ACI
To have even a slight chance at success in this, you'd definitely need to have your story straight from the very beginning. You'd need to show a very low-risk plan for replicating all the features of LaTeX that really matter, with measurable improvement in usability.
Probably a super-long shot, but it would be very cool.
What do you think of Pandoc?