[[!comment format=mdwn
 username="smcv"
 subject="comment 3"
 date="2015-08-12T16:08:10Z"
 content="""
There is a `MKD_NOALPHALIST` option to discount (assuming that's the Markdown implementation you're using), but it isn't clear which way should be preferred in general.

With that option off, people complain that they can't have alphabetical sub-lists (Google for \"markdown alpha list\" to see this feature request in various places).

With that option on, you get unexpected results for things like your example. It's also liable to break initials (`S. J. McVittie is an ikiwiki contributor`) or the French abbreviation for Monsieur (`M. Poirot is a famous French-speaking detective`).

The original Markdown didn't have lettered lists; neither does CommonMark, although it's a feature request in CommonMark.
"""]]