It seems like the "Step 1, Step 2, …, Step 4" format likely predated the 1998 South Park episode, with use on Usenet for omitting dangerous or legally-questiona

It seems like the "Step 1, Step 2, …, Step 4" format likely predated the 1998 South Park episode, with use on Usenet for omitting dangerous or legally-questionable instructions or otherwise gatekeeping "trade secrets": https://arstechnica.com/civis/threads/where-does-the-step-step-profit-reference-come-from.63379/ https://arstechnica.com/civis/threads/where-does-the-step-st... There's also a bit of prior art with the cartoon by Sidney Harris published in American Scientist in 1977 with a step two abridged as "Then A Miracle Occurs": http://www.sciencecartoonsplus.com/images/miracle_sharris.gif http://www.sciencecartoonsplus.com/images/miracle_sharris.gi...