Thread:MrBlonde267/@comment-220364-20130623152834/@comment-220364-20130623163932

Actually, IIUC it does create two differences.

One is visible. When ":*" is used, a line space is inserted between layers that does not happen between items in the same layer. Also the indent is different.

For example this: Compared to:
 * Layer 1, item 1
 * Layer 1, item 2
 * Layer 2, item 2.A
 * Layer 2, item 2.B
 * Layer 3, item 2.B1
 * Layer 3, item 2.B2
 * Layer 2, item 2.C
 * Layer 1, item 3
 * Layer 1, item 1
 * Layer 1, item 2
 * Layer 2, item 2.A
 * Layer 2, item 2.B
 * Layer 3, item 2.B1
 * Layer 3, item 2.B2
 * Layer 2, item 2.C

The other, from what I understand from other sites using the same coding, deals with software that reads the page for the visually impaired. The long and shot was that the "*", "**", "***", etc will be read out as an indented list. The other formatting is read out a separate lists. I've never run across that, but then I'm not using software to vocalize the text and don't know any one personally that does.
 * Layer 1, item 3

For the most part, I haven't been editing just to change that. It's more a case of if I'm already editing the page for something else, I'd change the bulleting and remove unneeded lines between bulleted items. I've also tried to fix cases where a bullet with multiple paragraphs loses the indent.