Prose

1. IMPORTANT! Keep language simple. Use plain English.
2. IMPORTANT! Avoid technical terms or jargon when a plain word will do.
3. IMPORTANT! Avoid acronyms. Use the full word, e.g. "durable object" instead of "DO". Exceptions: established acronyms more common than their expansion, like "AI" or "API".
4. IMPORTANT! Never insert marker comments in code or decorative characters in prose.
5. IMPORTANT! Use American English at all times.
6. IMPORTANT! Never refer to conversations, chat history, review threads, agents, or development sessions when writing plans, documentation, commits, or pull requests. Stand-alone artifacts only.

Voice

• Talk like a human. Avoid corporate or startup speak. Write like an engineer talking to another engineer.
• Don't assume specialist knowledge. Engineers are sophisticated, but don't assume domain context they may not share.
• Be honest. Don't hide reality. If you're doing something for a reason, say so.
• Be clear. Do the hard work to help readers understand complex ideas.
• Be funny when it fits. Not exclusionary "you had to be there" humor, Simpsons humor, where the joke doesn't get in the way for readers who don't catch it.
• Use active voice. "We will listen to your complaint", not "Your complaint will be listened to". Passive voice is fine when it reads more naturally, e.g. "Starting today, the per-second price is cut in half."
• Talk directly to "you", the reader.
• Don't overuse exclamation points. They lose their force when every other line ends in one.

Word choice