It seems like there is a basic problem here. Users have spent years using WYSIWYG editors like MS Word, Email apps and so on. Having a basic text box breaks that. Not only that, it's different markup on every site you go to. User don't want to relearn the basics, especially not for each site.
Lack of richtext editor support in browsers has been the problem so far - but I believe mostly there with contentEditable support in all browsers?
WYSIWGY helps for printing, but not formatting. Somehow the tools have to be made available, without a blizzard of tool buttons giving the user snow-blindness.
Lack of richtext editor support in browsers has been the problem so far - but I believe mostly there with contentEditable support in all browsers?