diff --git a/cluster/README.txt b/cluster/README.md
similarity index 99%
rename from cluster/README.txt
rename to cluster/README.md
index 205893a2c..80c12777d 100644
--- a/cluster/README.txt
+++ b/cluster/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 Author: Dustin J. Mitchell
+
 Project: Cluster (a working title!)
+
 Requirements: Python
 
 This directory holds a simple implementation of a replicated state machine
diff --git a/crawler/README.txt b/crawler/README.md
similarity index 99%
rename from crawler/README.txt
rename to crawler/README.md
index f6ecb484f..95ddf26ee 100644
--- a/crawler/README.txt
+++ b/crawler/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 Author: Guido van Rossum
+
 Project: Web crawler
+
 Requirements: Python 3.4, or 3.3 + asyncio
 
 This is a web crawler. You give it a URL and it will crawl that
diff --git a/graph-layout/README.md b/graph-layout/README.md
index 9af1dd182..b436712de 100644
--- a/graph-layout/README.md
+++ b/graph-layout/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # Graph layout engine
 
 A graph layout engine.
+
 Author: Julia Evans
 
 TODO: Everything.
diff --git a/torrent_client/README.txt b/torrent_client/README.md
similarity index 80%
rename from torrent_client/README.txt
rename to torrent_client/README.md
index 510c4e40c..e34aaaf1a 100644
--- a/torrent_client/README.txt
+++ b/torrent_client/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 Author: Kresten Krab Thorup
+
 Project: Torrent Client
+
 Requirements: Erlang
 
 This directory holds a simple torrent client in Erlang. The client only works
@@ -13,10 +15,12 @@ The easiest way to get Erlang, is to download it from www.erlang-solutions.org.
 Don't use the Erlang distributed with Ubuntu.
 
 compile:
-  ./rebar get-deps
-  ./rebar compile
+
+    ./rebar get-deps
+    ./rebar compile
 
 run:
-  erl -pa ebin -pa deps/*/ebin
-  1> torrent_client:download("../path/to.torrent")
+
+    erl -pa ebin -pa deps/*/ebin
+    1> torrent_client:download("../path/to.torrent")
 
diff --git a/web-server/00-hello-web/README.txt b/web-server/00-hello-web/README.md
similarity index 100%
rename from web-server/00-hello-web/README.txt
rename to web-server/00-hello-web/README.md
diff --git a/web-server/01-echo-request-info/README.txt b/web-server/01-echo-request-info/README.md
similarity index 100%
rename from web-server/01-echo-request-info/README.txt
rename to web-server/01-echo-request-info/README.md
diff --git a/web-server/02-serve-static/README.txt b/web-server/02-serve-static/README.md
similarity index 100%
rename from web-server/02-serve-static/README.txt
rename to web-server/02-serve-static/README.md
diff --git a/web-server/03-errcode-pathnorm/README.txt b/web-server/03-errcode-pathnorm/README.md
similarity index 100%
rename from web-server/03-errcode-pathnorm/README.txt
rename to web-server/03-errcode-pathnorm/README.md
diff --git a/web-server/04-mimetypes/README.txt b/web-server/04-mimetypes/README.md
similarity index 100%
rename from web-server/04-mimetypes/README.txt
rename to web-server/04-mimetypes/README.md
diff --git a/web-server/05-simple-cgi/README.txt b/web-server/05-simple-cgi/README.md
similarity index 100%
rename from web-server/05-simple-cgi/README.txt
rename to web-server/05-simple-cgi/README.md
diff --git a/web-server/06-sockets/README.txt b/web-server/06-sockets/README.md
similarity index 100%
rename from web-server/06-sockets/README.txt
rename to web-server/06-sockets/README.md
diff --git a/web-server/README.txt b/web-server/README.md
similarity index 99%
rename from web-server/README.txt
rename to web-server/README.md
index c7be5cdce..b1d4a5f13 100644
--- a/web-server/README.txt
+++ b/web-server/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 Author: Greg Wilson
+
 Project: Web Server
+
 Requirements: Python
 
 This directory holds a simple web server in Python, which I am