I’m not entirely sure why there’s a push toward ASCII diagrams (perhaps influenced by AI usage).
Mermaid and PlantUML are already text-based representations, and what most users actually want is a rendered diagram in a standard, widely recognized notation—primarily for humans, not machines.
ASCII diagrams are inherently constrained by printable characters, which makes them hard to standardize and limits their expressiveness compared to proper diagram renderers.
It's like two people: when one person's status and position are much higher than the other's, they won't even think about tarnishing the other person's reputation. They may even offer some help to satisfy their own vanity. However, when the two are of similar status and position, and one doesn't have a mindset of openness and mutual benefit, they may feel their position is threatened. When trying civilized methods doesn't suppress the competitor, they begin to resort to any means necessary.
ASCII diagrams are inherently constrained by printable characters, which makes them hard to standardize and limits their expressiveness compared to proper diagram renderers.