From 51a2b5ce13eee581dcd87c415fb8a8a1f47ddd30 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Riordan <dr@daveriordan.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2016 17:29:49 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] Retext Simplified Documentation

Simplifies documentation language based on [retext-mapbox-standard](https://github.com/mapbox/retext-mapbox-standard).

There are still several things that don't pass linter muster, but they're key terms for the product (namely "prioritize").
---
 add-search-to-a-map.md  | 18 +++++++++---------
 api-keys-rate-limits.md |  8 ++++----
 autocomplete.md         |  6 +++---
 data-sources.md         |  6 +++---
 get-started.md          |  6 +++---
 glossary.md             | 10 +++++-----
 http-status-codes.md    |  2 +-
 index.md                |  4 ++--
 place.md                |  4 ++--
 response.md             |  6 +++---
 reverse.md              |  6 +++---
 search.md               | 18 +++++++++---------
 transition-from-beta.md |  8 ++++----
 use-cors.md             |  8 ++++----
 14 files changed, 55 insertions(+), 55 deletions(-)

diff --git a/add-search-to-a-map.md b/add-search-to-a-map.md
index 6e477ab..ba6c368 100644
--- a/add-search-to-a-map.md
+++ b/add-search-to-a-map.md
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 # Add the Mapzen Search geocoder to a map
 
-[Mapzen Search](https://mapzen.com/projects/search) is a modern, geographic search service based entirely on open-source tools and open data. Use this functionality to enhance any app that has a geographic context, such as ones that assist in delivering goods, locating hotels or venues, or providing local weather forecasts.
+[Mapzen Search](https://mapzen.com/projects/search) is a modern, geographic search service based entirely on open-source tools and open data. Use this functionality to enhance any app that has a geographic context, such as ones that help in delivering goods, locating hotels or venues, or providing local weather forecasts.
 
 Through a process known as [geocoding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geocoding), Mapzen Search allows you to enter an address or the name of a landmark or business, and the service translates the result into geographic coordinates for mapping. Mapzen Search is built on [Pelias](https://github.com/pelias), an open-source geocoding project.
 
-In this walkthrough, you will learn how to make a map with a search box that allows you to enter addresses and place names and locate them on a map. To complete the tutorial, you should have some familiarity with HTML and JavaScript, although all the source code is provided. You also need a Mapzen Search [API key](https://mapzen.com/developers), which requires a [GitHub account](https://help.github.com/articles/signing-up-for-a-new-github-account/) for authorization. You can use any text editor and operating system, but must maintain an Internet connection while you are working.
+In this walkthrough, you will learn how to make a map with a search box that allows you to enter addresses and place names and locate them on a map. To complete the tutorial, you should have some familiarity with HTML and JavaScript, although all the source code is provided. You also need a Mapzen Search [API key](https://mapzen.com/developers), which requires a [GitHub account](https://help.github.com/articles/signing-up-for-a-new-github-account/) for authorization. You can use any text editor and operating system, but must keep an Internet connection while you are working.
 
 ## Sign up for a Mapzen Search API key
 
-To use the geocoding service, you must first obtain a Mapzen Search [API key](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_programming_interface_key). Because the search service is shared among many users, an API key is a way to make sure that the performance is acceptable for everyone. Sign in at https://mapzen.com/developers to create and manage your API keys.
+To use the geocoding service, you must first get a Mapzen Search [API key](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_programming_interface_key). Because the search service is shared among many users, an API key is a way to make sure that the performance is acceptable for everyone. Sign in at https://mapzen.com/developers to create and manage your API keys.
 
 1. Go to https://mapzen.com/developers.
 2. Sign in with your [GitHub account](https://help.github.com/articles/signing-up-for-a-new-github-account/). If you have not done this before, you need to agree to the terms first.
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ A cascading style sheet (CSS) is used to style a webpage, including layout and f
     <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/leaflet/0.7.5/leaflet.js"></script>
     ```
 
-2. In the `<head>` section, immediately after the lines you added for Leaflet, add references to the geocoder's CSS and JavaScript files. These are also being linked to on a website.
+2. In the `<head>` section, directly after the lines you added for Leaflet, add references to the geocoder's CSS and JavaScript files. These are also being linked to on a website.
 
     ```html
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/leaflet-geocoder-mapzen/1.4.0/leaflet-geocoder-mapzen.css">
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ Note that you are linking to a website that is serving the geocoder's CSS and Ja
 
 To display a Leaflet map on a page, you need a `<div>` element, which is a container on the page that groups elements, with an ID value. If you want to know more about initializing a Leaflet map, see the [Leaflet getting started documentation](http://leafletjs.com/examples/quick-start.html).
 
-1. At the bottom of the `<head>` section, after the references you added in the previous steps, add a `<style>` tag and the following attributes to set the size of the map on your webpage.
+1. At the bottom of the `<head>` section, after the references you added in the earlier steps, add a `<style>` tag and the following attributes to set the size of the map on your webpage.
 
     ```html
     <style>
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ To display a Leaflet map on a page, you need a `<div>` element, which is a conta
     <div id="map"></div>
     ```
 
-3. Immediately after the `<div>`, add this JavaScript code within a `<script>` tag to initialize Leaflet.
+3. Directly after the `<div>`, add this JavaScript code within a `<script>` tag to initialize Leaflet.
 
     ```html
     <script>
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ To display a Leaflet map on a page, you need a `<div>` element, which is a conta
     </script>
     ```
 
-    `L.xxxxx` is a convention used with the Leaflet API. The `setView([37.804146, -122.275045], 16)` part sets the center of the map, in decimal degrees, and the zoom level. The map is centered in Oakland, California, with a zoom level that allows you to see the streets and features of the city. Zoom levels are similar to map scales or resolutions, where a smaller value shows a larger area in less detail, and a larger zoom level value depicts smaller area in great detail.
+    `L.xxxxx` is a convention used with the Leaflet API. The `setView([37.804146, -122.275045], 16)` part sets the center of the map, in decimal degrees, and the zoom level. The map is centered in Oakland, California, with a zoom level that allows you to see the streets and features of the city. Zoom levels are like map scales or resolutions, where a smaller value shows a larger area in less detail, and a larger zoom level value depicts smaller area in great detail.
 
 4. Within the same `<script>` tag, start a new line and set the data source for the map. This line adds the default OpenStreetMap tiles and an attribution.
 
@@ -231,13 +231,13 @@ Your `<body>` section should look like this:
 
 If you want to [customize the geocoder plug-in behavior](https://github.com/pelias/leaflet-geocoder#customizing-the-plugin) beyond the defaults in this Walkthrough, you can set additional options in your code. For example, the Search box collapses to an icon by default, but you can specify that the text box be shown at full width. There are also options for customizing the parameters for the Mapzen Search service, such as limiting the search to the map's extent or prioritizing results near the current view. Right now, you may notice that results from around the world appear in the list.
 
-Mapzen Search uses a [variety of open data sources](https://mapzen.com/documentation/search/data-sources/), including OpenStreetMap. Part of the power of open data is that anyone can modify the source data and improve the quality for everyone. If you are unable to find a location, the place could be missing or incorrect in the source datasets. Mapzen is also building a comprehensive, open database of places known as [Who's on First](https://github.com/whosonfirst/whosonfirst-data) that can be publicly edited, and is working on integrating it into the geocoder.  
+Mapzen Search uses a [variety of open data sources](https://mapzen.com/documentation/search/data-sources/), including OpenStreetMap. Part of the power of open data is that anyone can change the source data and improve the quality for everyone. If you are unable to find a location, the place could be missing or incorrect in the source datasets. Mapzen is also building a comprehensive, open database of places known as [Who's on First](https://github.com/whosonfirst/whosonfirst-data) that can be publicly edited, and is working on integrating it into the geocoder.  
 
 ## Walkthrough summary
 
 In this walkthrough, you learned the basics of adding the Mapzen Search geocoding engine to a Leaflet map. If you want to learn more about Mapzen Search, review the [documentation](index.md).
 
-Because the geocoder is still under development and considered experimental, if you are getting unexpected search results, please add an issue to the [Pelias GitHub repository](https://github.com/pelias/pelias/issues). The developers can investigate and determine if the problem is caused by software or data, and work to fix it either way.
+Because the geocoder is still under development and considered experimental, if you are getting unexpected search results, please add an issue to the [Pelias GitHub repository](https://github.com/pelias/pelias/issues). The developers can investigate and decide if the problem is caused by software or data, and work to fix it either way.
 
 To take your map even further, you can follow along with some additional Mapzen tutorials. One exercise you can try is to use [Mapzen's Tangram rendering engine](https://mapzen.com/documentation/turn-by-turn/add-routing-to-a-map/#add-a-tangram-map-to-the-frame) and vector tiles to draw the data on the map, instead of the OpenStreetMap raster tile layer you used in this walkthrough. When you get your map the way you want, you might be interested in [putting your map on the web](https://mapzen.com/documentation/tangram/walkthrough/#put-your-tangram-map-on-the-web) so you can share your work with others.
 
diff --git a/api-keys-rate-limits.md b/api-keys-rate-limits.md
index d2976b0..7b191a3 100644
--- a/api-keys-rate-limits.md
+++ b/api-keys-rate-limits.md
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 # API keys and rate limits
 
-## Obtain an API key
+## Get an API key
 
-To use the Mapzen Search service, you must first obtain a free developer API key. Sign in at https://mapzen.com/developers to create and manage your API keys.
+To use the Mapzen Search service, you must first get a free developer API key. Sign in at https://mapzen.com/developers to create and manage your API keys.
 
 1. Go to https://mapzen.com/developers.
 2. Sign in with your GitHub account. If you have not done this before, you need to agree to the terms first.
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ To use the Mapzen Search service, you must first obtain a free developer API key
 4. Copy the key into your code.
 
 ## Rate limits
-Because Mapzen Search is a free, shared service, there are limitations on the numbers of requests to prevent individual users from degrading the overall system performance.
+Because Mapzen Search is a free, shared service, there are limitations on the numbers of requests to prevent individual users from degrading system performance.
 
 Mapzen Search allows you a maximum of:
 
@@ -54,4 +54,4 @@ If you exceed your limits, the service will respond with the status code `429 To
 ```
 
 ## Security
-Mapzen Search works over HTTPS, in addition to HTTP. You are strongly encouraged to use HTTPS for all requests, especially for queries involving potentially sensitive information, such as a user's location or search query.
+Mapzen Search works over HTTPS and HTTP. You are strongly encouraged to use HTTPS for all requests, especially for queries involving potentially sensitive information, such as a user's location or search query.
diff --git a/autocomplete.md b/autocomplete.md
index d3d0f8d..5b9bbf7 100644
--- a/autocomplete.md
+++ b/autocomplete.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Search with autocomplete
 
-If you are building an end-user application, you can use the `/autocomplete` endpoint alongside `/search` to enable real-time feedback. This type-ahead functionality helps users find what they are looking for more easily, without requiring them to fully specify their search term. Typically, the user starts typing and a drop-down list appears where they can choose the term from the list below.
+If you are building an end-user application, you can use the `/autocomplete` endpoint alongside `/search` to enable real-time feedback. This type-ahead functionality helps users find what they are looking for, without requiring them to fully specify their search term. Typically, the user starts typing and a drop-down list appears where they can choose the term from the list below.
 
 To build a query with autocomplete, you need [a free, API developer key](https://mapzen.com/developers) and a `text` parameter, representing what a user has typed into your application so far. Optionally, you can specify a geographic point where the search is focused, this will allow users to see more local places in the results.
 
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ To build a query with autocomplete, you need [a free, API developer key](https:/
 
 There are two user experience pitfalls to watch out for when implementing a client-side typeahead solution:
 
-**Requests must be throttled.** The client must only send a maximum of one or two requests per second. Sending requests more frequently than this will result in a sluggish network and laggy user interface for mobile consumers. A general rule is to account for fast typers by batching their keystrokes and sending the input text no more than twice per second. Mapzen Search limits the amount of requests per second (per api key), so be sure to account for those limits in your throttle code. [Learn more in this interactive demo.](http://jsfiddle.net/missinglink/19e2r2we/)
+**Requests must be throttled.** The client must only send a maximum of one or two requests per second. Sending requests more often than this will result in a sluggish network and laggy user interface for mobile consumers. A general rule is to account for fast typers by batching their keystrokes and sending the input text no more than twice per second. Mapzen Search limits the amount of requests per second (per API key), so be sure to account for those limits in your throttle code. [Learn more in this interactive demo.](http://jsfiddle.net/missinglink/19e2r2we/)
 
-**Responses are asynchronous.** There is no guarantee that responses will be returned in the same order they were requested. If you were to send two queries synchronously, first `'Lo'` then `'London'`, you may find the `'London'` response would arrive before the `'Lo'` response. This will result in a quick flash of `'London'` results followed by the results for `'Lo'`, which can confuse the user. You must account for this behavior by storing the `requested_at` timestamps for each request and discarding older responses when they arrive late.
+**Responses are asynchronous.** This means you cannot be sure responses will be returned in the same order they were requested. If you were to send two queries synchronously, first `'Lo'` then `'London'`, you may find the `'London'` response would arrive before the `'Lo'` response. This will result in a quick flash of `'London'` results followed by the results for `'Lo'`, which can confuse the user. You must account for this behavior by storing the `requested_at` timestamps for each request and discarding older responses when they arrive late.
 
 ## Global scope, local focus
 
diff --git a/data-sources.md b/data-sources.md
index da1b15e..df22b8e 100644
--- a/data-sources.md
+++ b/data-sources.md
@@ -28,15 +28,15 @@ Quattroshapes data is licensed [CC BY](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.
 
 ## OpenAddresses
 
-[OpenAddresses](http://openaddresses.io/) is a collection of authoritatively sourced data for addresses around the world, with currently over 200 million addresses. OpenAddresses data comes exclusively from regional authorities such as federal, state, or local governments. Because it consists of entirely bulk imports, OpenAddresses is a large, global, and rapidly growing dataset. Many countries, particularly in Europe, now have every address represented in OpenAddresses.
+[OpenAddresses](http://openaddresses.io/) is a collection of authoritatively sourced data for addresses around the world, with over 200 million addresses. Data in OpenAddresses only comes from national, state, and local governments, so this data is highly authoritative. Because it consists of entirely bulk imports, OpenAddresses is a large, global, and rapidly growing dataset. Many countries, particularly in Europe, now have every address represented in OpenAddresses.
 
-OpenAddresses is by far the largest dataset by number of records used by Mapzen Search, so even though it only contains address data (i.e. no building names or other metadata), it's a great resource for global geocoding.
+OpenAddresses is by far the largest dataset by number of records used by Mapzen Search, so even though it only contains address data (as in no building names or other metadata), it's a great resource for global geocoding.
 
 As OpenAddresses is sourced from regional governments, its data is in the public domain.
 
 ## Geonames
 
-[Geonames](http://www.geonames.org/) is an aggregation of numerous authoritative and non-authoritative datasets. It contains information on everything from country borders to airport names to geographical features. While Geonames does not contain any shape data (such as country borders), it does have a powerful and well defined hierarchy to describe the relationships between different records. Currently, this custom hierarchy makes it harder to use in combination with data from other sources, but the Mapzen [Who's On First](http://whosonfirst.mapzen.com/) project will help by providing concordance between Geonames and other datasets.
+[Geonames](http://www.geonames.org/) is an aggregation of many authoritative and non-authoritative datasets. It contains information on everything from country borders to airport names to geographical features. While Geonames does not contain any shape data (such as country borders), it does have a powerful and well defined hierarchy to describe the relationships between different records. This custom hierarchy makes it harder to use in combination with data from other sources, but the Mapzen [Who's On First](http://whosonfirst.mapzen.com/) project will help by providing concordance between Geonames and other datasets.
 
 In the meantime, Geonames still provides a wide variety of useful data that helps augment the other datasets used by Mapzen Search.
 
diff --git a/get-started.md b/get-started.md
index 34ab151..fc32aba 100644
--- a/get-started.md
+++ b/get-started.md
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 # Get started with Mapzen Search
 
-[Mapzen Search](https://mapzen.com/projects/search) is a modern, geographic search service based entirely on open-source tools and powered entirely by open data. To start integrating Mapzen Search to your apps, you need a [free, developer API key](api-keys-rate-limits.md). You might use this functionality in any app that has a geographic component, including ones that deliver goods, locate hotels or venues, or even provide local weather forecasts.
+[Mapzen Search](https://mapzen.com/projects/search) is a modern, geographic search service based entirely on open-source tools and powered entirely by open data. To start integrating Mapzen Search to your apps, you need a [free, developer API key](api-keys-rate-limits.md). You might use this functionality in any app that has a geographic part, including ones that deliver goods, locate hotels or venues, or even provide local weather forecasts.
 
-Through a process known as [geocoding](search.md), Mapzen Search allows you to use natural language to find a particular place by entering an address or the name of a landmark or business, and then translates the result in to the geographic coordinates used by computers. Mapzen Search accesses [global databases](data-sources.md) of place names and locations, but you can receive more locally relevant search results by limiting the search to a particular radius around a location (such as a cell phone), region, or country. With text [autocompletion capabilities](autocomplete.md), you can search for places and match against Mapzen Search data in real-time. 
+Through a process known as [geocoding](search.md), Mapzen Search allows you to use natural language to find a particular place by entering an address or the name of a landmark or business, and then translates the result in to the geographic coordinates used by computers. Mapzen Search accesses [global databases](data-sources.md) of place names and locations, but you can receive more locally relevant search results by limiting the search to a particular radius around a location (such as a cell phone), region, or country. With text [autocompletion capabilities](autocomplete.md), you can search for places and match against Mapzen Search data in real-time.
 
 Mapzen Search also enables the opposite workflow, known as [reverse geocoding](reverse.md), to transform latitude and longitude values in to a list of places. This process attempts to find the name and address of the place nearest a longitude and latitude pair. For example, you can click a position on the map to learn which business is located there.
 
 Behind the scenes of your app, Mapzen Search can improve the quality of your own data by augmenting it with information where your users are located. You can pass the coordinates returned from Mapzen Search to other services, such as [Mapzen Turn-by-Turn](https://mapzen.com/projects/valhalla) that enables navigation and routing directions between points. Mapzen Search can also convert a geographic coordinate pair into the administrative boundary hierarchy containing it, such as a from the neighbourhood to the local administrative area, and on up to the country level. Getting this information can be useful when filtering for places in non-geographic databases.
 
-Mapzen Search is powered by Pelias, an experimental, community-focused geocoder from Mapzen, is available for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. The [source code](https://github.com/pelias/pelias) is open to view and modify, and contributions are welcomed.
+Mapzen Search is powered by Pelias, an experimental, community-focused geocoder from Mapzen, is available for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. The [source code](https://github.com/pelias/pelias) is open to view and change, and contributions are welcomed.
diff --git a/glossary.md b/glossary.md
index 14f8d42..a619fcf 100644
--- a/glossary.md
+++ b/glossary.md
@@ -2,16 +2,16 @@
 
 ## Common search and geocoding terms
 
-- **geocoding** - the process of converting an address or the name of a landmark or business into a latitude, longitude pair. Sometimes referred to as forward geocoding. Use the `search` endpoint to perform this.
-- **reverse geocoding** - the process of converting a latitude, longitude pair into the name and address of the nearest place. Use the `reverse` endpoint to perform this.
+- **geocoding** - the process of converting an address or the name of a landmark or business into a latitude, longitude pair. Sometimes referred to as forward geocoding. Use the `search` endpoint to do this.
+- **reverse geocoding** - the process of converting a latitude, longitude pair into the name and address of the nearest place. Use the `reverse` endpoint to do this.
 - **coarse geocoding** - adds regions and administrative boundaries to the geocoding process. Forward coarse geocoding limits a search to a particular region, while reverse coarse geocoding converts a geographic coordinate pair into the administrative boundary hierarchy containing it, such as a from the neighbourhood to the local administrative area, and on up to the country level.
 - **gazetteer** - a directory of geographical places, with a stable identifier and some number of descriptive properties about that location.
 
 ## Mapzen Search API and developer terms
 
 - **API endpoint** - an architectural style for accessing web resources through a URL. In Mapzen Search, available endpoints include `search`, `reverse`, and `autocomplete`. You can construct a URL to send queries and receive responses from Mapzen Search.
-- **API key** - an code that identifies the developer account without providing a password. Mapzen Search requires the use of a free, API key to interact with the search service.
-- **autocomplete** - enables real-time feedback when entering text for a search, typically, where users start typing and a drop-down list appears where they can choose the term from the list below. Use the `autocomplete` endpoint to perform this.
+- **API key** - an code that identifies the developer account without providing a password. Mapzen Search requires a free, API key to interact with the search service.
+- **autocomplete** - enables real-time feedback when entering text for a search, typically, where users start typing and a drop-down list appears where they can choose the term from the list below. Use the `autocomplete` endpoint to do this.
 - **data source** - the datasets available to Mapzen Search. Only data sources that have open-source licenses are used.
 - **focus** - option to make places closer to a particular location be prioritized and appear higher in the search results list. After all nearby results have been found, additional results will come from the rest of the world, without any further location-based prioritization.
 - **layer** - types of places available to Mapzen Search and arranged in a hierarchy, such as an address, a venue, a neighbourhood, or a country.
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@
 - **bounding box** - a rectangular area defined by two longitudes and two latitudes (the minimum and the maximum latitude, longitude).
 - **cross-origin resource sharing (CORS)** - standard allowing a web browser and server to accept requests across domains. Without CORS, browsers may not allow cross-site requests because they could be malicious.
 - **latitude** - the distance of a point north or south of the equator. In Mapzen Search, latitudes are expressed in decimal degrees.
-- **longitude** - the distance of a point east or west. In Mapzen Search, longitudes are reported in relation to the Prime Meridian and expressed in decimal degrees.
+- **longitude** - the distance of a point east or west. In Mapzen Search, longitudes are in relation to the Prime Meridian and expressed in decimal degrees.
diff --git a/http-status-codes.md b/http-status-codes.md
index c72364f..f817b88 100644
--- a/http-status-codes.md
+++ b/http-status-codes.md
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ The following status codes are returned from the geocoding service:
 - `500 Internal Server Error`: Generic fatal error.
 - `502 Bad Gateway`: Connection was lost to the Elasticsearch cluster.
 
-In all cases above, the response body will be valid geoJSON.
+In all cases above, the response body will be valid GeoJSON.
 
 ## Rate limiter
 The rate limiter returns the status codes `403 Forbidden` and `429 Too Many Requests`.
diff --git a/index.md b/index.md
index 24a2eee..71d3332 100644
--- a/index.md
+++ b/index.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-[Mapzen Search](https://mapzen.com/projects/search) is a modern, geographic search service based entirely on open-source tools and powered entirely by open data. To start integrating Mapzen Search to your apps, you need a [developer API key](api-keys-rate-limits.md). You might use this functionality in any app that has a geographic component, including ones that deliver goods, locate hotels or venues, or even provide local weather forecasts.
+[Mapzen Search](https://mapzen.com/projects/search) is a modern, geographic search service based entirely on open-source tools and powered entirely by open data. To start integrating Mapzen Search to your apps, you need a [developer API key](api-keys-rate-limits.md). You might use this functionality in any app that has a geographic element, including ones that deliver goods, locate hotels or venues, or even provide local weather forecasts.
 
-Through a process known as [geocoding](search.md), Mapzen Search allows you to use natural language to find a particular place by entering an address or the name of a landmark or business, and then translates the result in to the geographic coordinates used by computers. Mapzen Search accesses [global databases](data-sources.md) of place names and locations, but you can receive more locally relevant search results by limiting the search to a particular radius around a location (such as a cell phone), region, or country. With text [autocompletion capabilities](autocomplete.md), you can search for places and match against Mapzen Search data in real-time. 
+Through a process known as [geocoding](search.md), Mapzen Search allows you to use natural language to find a particular place by entering an address or the name of a landmark or business, and then translates the result in to the geographic coordinates used by computers. Mapzen Search accesses [global databases](data-sources.md) of place names and locations, but you can receive more locally relevant search results by limiting the search to a particular radius around a location (such as a cell phone), region, or country. With text [autocompletion capabilities](autocomplete.md), you can search for places and match against Mapzen Search data in real-time.
 
 Mapzen Search also enables the opposite workflow, known as [reverse geocoding](reverse.md), to transform latitude and longitude values in to a list of places. This process attempts to find the name and address of the place nearest a longitude and latitude pair. For example, you can click a position on the map to learn which business is located there.
diff --git a/place.md b/place.md
index d8e51b8..93defdd 100644
--- a/place.md
+++ b/place.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ To get started with a `/place` search, you need a [free, developer API key](http
 * layer - the type of place, such as a venue, address, or country.
 * id - the identification number of the item
 
-If you have all of those, join them together with semicolons and pass them in with the `ids` parameter.
+If you have all those, join them together with semicolons and pass them in with the `ids` parameter.
 
 For example, this `/place` query looks up the Eiffel Tower in OpenStreetMap (OSM):
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ The results are returned in the order requested.
 
 One reason you'd want to do this is to exclude a particular dataset from being searched; you would include all the other data sources you do want to search.
 
-Keep in mind that if you enter a `source:layer:id` combination that cannot be found, then the `features` array in the response contains a different number of elements than the number of requests. This will be most noticeable in requests with multiple IDs, as your request may have three IDs requested but only two results returned. The reason for this is that the `features` section of the response is GeoJSON-compliant and there is currently no way to convey an exception condition (not even an empty JSON element, `{}`). For this reason, if your application is dependent upon the results mapping directly to the individual input requests in order, then you'll have to do your own bookkeeping to handle exception conditions.
+Keep in mind that if you enter a `source:layer:id` combination that cannot be found, then the `features` array in the response contains a different number of elements than the number of requests. This will be most noticeable in requests with multiple IDs, as your request may have three IDs requested but only two results returned. The reason for this is that the `features` section of the response is GeoJSON-compliant, and JSON does not allow a way to convey an exception condition (not even an empty JSON element, `{}`). For this reason, if your application is dependent upon the results mapping directly to the individual input requests in order, then you'll have to do your own bookkeeping to handle exception conditions.
 
 ## Valid combinations of place searches
 
diff --git a/response.md b/response.md
index d9d329e..a38a391 100644
--- a/response.md
+++ b/response.md
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ The top-level structure to every response looks like this:
 
 The `features` property of the result is where you will find the list of results that best matched your input parameters.
 
-Each item in this list will contain all the information needed to identify it in human-readable format in the `properties` block, as well as computer friendly coordinates in the `geometry` property.
+Each item in this list will contain all the information needed to find it in human-readable format in the `properties` block, as well as computer friendly coordinates in the `geometry` property.
 
 ```json
 {
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ Each item in this list will contain all the information needed to identify it in
 This is a "global id" that can be used to reference a result with the [/place](place.md) endpoint. It consists of an identifier for the dataset, a layer, and finally an `id` for the individual record. This `id` corresponds to stable ids from datasets wherever possible (such as the ID of an OpenStreetMap Node or Way), but not all datasets have them.
 
 ### Label
-The `label` is a human-friendly representation of the place, ready to be displayed to an end user.  The label field attempts to use a format that is appropriate for the region the result is in, although Mapzen Search only supports a few countries at the moment.
+The `label` is a human-friendly representation of the place, ready to be displayed to an end user.  The label field attempts to use a format that is right for the region the result is in, although Mapzen Search only supports a few countries at the moment.
 
 ### Confidence
 The confidence score is an estimation of how accurately this result matches the query.
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ For the `/reverse` endpoint, the confidence score is determined solely by its di
 
 For the `/search` endpoint, it primarily takes into account how well properties in the result match what was expected from parsing the input text. For example, if the input text looks like an address, but the house number of the result doesn't match the house number that was parsed from the input text, the confidence score will be lower.
 
-Additionally, the confidence score can optionally be biased relative to other results, just like test scores in a classroom might be graded on a curve. This takes into account both the property matches described above and the distance between results. This relative scoring is enabled on Mapzen Search, but can be disabled when hosting your own Pelias instance.
+Additionally, the confidence score can optionally be biased along with other results, like test scores in a classroom might be graded on a curve. This takes into account both the property matches described above and the distance between results. This relative scoring is enabled on Mapzen Search, but can be turned off when hosting your own Pelias instance.
 
 ## Result count
 
diff --git a/reverse.md b/reverse.md
index df8fde9..8c00026 100644
--- a/reverse.md
+++ b/reverse.md
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Notice that the first result is the Eiffel Tower (well, Tour Eiffel). The output
 
 ## Reverse geocoding parameters
 
-Similar to other queries with Mapzen Search, reverse geocoding has optional, additional parameters you can use to refine results.
+Like other queries with Mapzen Search, reverse geocoding has optional, additional parameters you can use to refine results.
 
 Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Example
 --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Example
 
 ### Size
 
-A basic parameter for filtering is `size`, which is used to limit the number of results returned. In the previous request that returned the Eiffel Tower (or 'Tour Eiffel', to be exact), notice that other results were returned including "Bureau de Gustave Eiffel" (a museum) and "Le Jules Verne" (a restaurant). To limit a reverse geocode to only the first result, pass the `size` parameter:
+A basic parameter for filtering is `size`, which is used to limit the number of results returned. In the earlier request that returned the Eiffel Tower (or 'Tour Eiffel', to be exact), notice that other results were returned including "Bureau de Gustave Eiffel" (a museum) and "Le Jules Verne" (a restaurant). To limit a reverse geocode to only the first result, pass the `size` parameter:
 
 >[/v1/reverse?api_key=search-XXXXXXX&point.lat=48.858268&point.lon=2.294471&___size=1___](https://search.mapzen.com/v1/reverse?api_key=search-XXXXXXX&point.lat=48.858268&point.lon=2.294471&size=1)
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ Note that `UK` is not a valid ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code.
 
 ## Confidence scores for the results
 
-Each result returned has an associated confidence score. Currently confidence scores are calculated based on the distance from the result to the supplied `point.lat` and `point.lon`. Confidence scoring for reverse geocode results is likely to change with different data sources and layers.
+Each result returned has an associated confidence score. Confidence scores are calculated based on the distance from the result to the supplied `point.lat` and `point.lon`. Confidence scoring for reverse geocode results is likely to change with different data sources and layers.
 
 Distance from `point.lat`/`point.lon` | Confidence score
 --- | ---
diff --git a/search.md b/search.md
index 95f7576..e42fd87 100644
--- a/search.md
+++ b/search.md
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ All Mapzen Search requests share the same format:
 
 ![Searching globally](/images/world_all.png)
 
-In the simplest search, you can provide only one parameter, the text you want to match in any part of the location details. To accomplish this, build a query where the `text` parameter is set to the item you want to find.
+In the simplest search, you can provide only one parameter, the text you want to match in any part of the location details. To do this, build a query where the `text` parameter is set to the item you want to find.
 
 For example, if you want to find a [YMCA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YMCA) facility, here's what you'd need to append to the base URL of the service, `search.mapzen.com`.
 
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ In the example above, you will find the name of each matched locations in a prop
 * YMCA, Jefferson, OH
 * YMCA, Belleville, IL
 
-Spelling matters, but not capitalization when performing a query with Mapzen Search. You can type `ymca`, `YMCA`, or even `yMcA`. See for yourself by comparing the results of the previous search to the following:
+Spelling matters, but not capitalization when performing a query with Mapzen Search. You can type `ymca`, `YMCA`, or even `yMcA`. See for yourself by comparing the results of the earlier search to the following:
 
 > [/v1/search?api_key=search-XXXXXXX&___text=yMcA___](https://search.mapzen.com/v1/search?api_key=search-XXXXXXX&text=yMcA)
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ If you want 25 results, you can build the query where `size` is 25.
 
 ## Narrow your search
 
-If you are looking for places in a particular region, or country, or only want to look in the immediate vicinity of a user with a known location, you can narrow your search to an area. There are different ways of including a region in your query. Mapzen Search currently supports three types: country, rectangle, and circle.
+If you are looking for places in a particular region, or country, or only want to look in the immediate vicinity of a user with a known location, you can narrow your search to an area. There are different ways of including a region in your query. Mapzen Search supports three types: country, rectangle, and circle.
 
 ### Search within a particular country
 
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ Now, you want to search for YMCA again, but this time only in Great Britain. To
 | `text` | YMCA |
 | `boundary.country` | GBR |
 
-Note that all the results reside within Great Britain:
+Note that all the results are within Great Britain:
 
 > * YMCA, Bargoed Community, United Kingdom
 * YMCA, Orpington, Greater London
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ Note that all the results reside within Great Britain:
 * YMCA, Lenton Abbey, Nottinghamshire
 * YMCA, Old Clee, Lincolnshire
 
-If you attempt the same search request with different country codes, the results change to reflect YMCA locations within this region.
+If you try the same search request with different country codes, the results change to show YMCA locations within this region.
 
 > [/v1/search?api_key=search-XXXXXXX&text=YMCA&___boundary.country=USA___](https://search.mapzen.com/v1/search?api_key=search-XXXXXXX&text=YMCA&boundary.country=USA)
 
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ You can see the results have fewer than the standard 10 items because there are
 
 ![Searching within multiple regions](/images/overlapping_boundaries.gif)
 
-If you're going to attempt using multiple boundary types in a single search request, be aware that the results will come from the intersection of all the boundaries. So, if you provide regions that don't overlap, you'll be looking at an empty set of results.
+If you're going to try using multiple boundary types in a single search request, be aware that the results will come from the intersection of all the boundaries. So, if you provide regions that don't overlap, you'll be looking at an empty set of results.
 
 ## Prioritize results by proximity
 Many use cases call for the ability to promote nearby results to the top of the list, while still allowing important matches from farther away to be visible. Mapzen Search allows you to prioritize results within geographic boundaries, including around a point, within a country, or within a region.
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ Going back to the YMCA search you conducted with a focus around a point in Sydne
 | `focus.point.lon` | 151.215281 |
 | `boundary.country` | AUS |
 
-The results below look very different from the ones you saw previously with only a focus point specified. These results are all from within Australia. You'll note the closest results show up at the top of the list, which is facilitated by the focus parameter.
+The results below look different from the ones you saw before with only a focus point specified. These results are all from within Australia. You'll note the closest results show up at the top of the list, which is helped by the focus parameter.
 
 > * YMCA, Redfern, New South Wales [distance: 3.836]
 * YMCA, St Ives (NSW), New South Wales [distance: 14.844]
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ With Mapzen Search, you can filter by:
 * `layers`: the kind of place you want to find
 
 ### Filter by data source
-The search examples so far have returned a mix of results from all the data sources available to Mapzen Search. Here are the sources currently being searched:
+The search examples so far have returned a mix of results from all the data sources available to Mapzen Search. Here are the sources being searched:
 
 | source | name | short name |
 |---|---|---|
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ If you wanted to combine several data sources together, set `sources` to a comma
 Each of these data sources has properties, licenses, and strengths. You can learn more about the [data sources for Mapzen Search](data-sources.md).
 
 ### Filter by data type
-In Mapzen Search, place types are referred to as `layers`, ranging from fine to coarse. The Mapzen Search layers are derived from the hierarchy created by the gazetteer [Who's on First](https://github.com/whosonfirst/whosonfirst-placetypes/blob/master/README.md) and can be used to facilitate coarse geocoding. Here's a list of the types of places you could find in the results, sorted by granularity:
+In Mapzen Search, place types are referred to as `layers`, ranging from fine to coarse. The Mapzen Search layers are derived from the hierarchy created by the gazetteer [Who's on First](https://github.com/whosonfirst/whosonfirst-placetypes/blob/master/README.md) and can be used to help coarse geocoding. Here's a list of the types of places you could find in the results, sorted by granularity:
 
 |layer|description|
 |----|----|
diff --git a/transition-from-beta.md b/transition-from-beta.md
index d1dded8..58fb533 100644
--- a/transition-from-beta.md
+++ b/transition-from-beta.md
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ Most parameters (and options) for search have been renamed:
 | `bbox` | `boundary.rect.min_lon`, `boundary.rect.min_lat`, `boundary.rect.max_lon`, `boundary.rect.max_lat`| Bounding box parameters are now individually specified to prevent error.|
 | `details` | Deprecated (for the moment) | `details=false` used to respond with a minimized set of elements. We are reevaluating which elements of the response document make most sense for minimization. If you've got opinions, let us know at [search@mapzen.com](mailto:search@mapzen.com)|
 
-`layers` were previously opaque about many of the kinds of places they represented (particularly the administrative layers). `layers` were also used to retrieve places from a particular source. `sources` is now a separate parameter from `layers` to facilitate clarity.
+`layers` used to be opaque about many of the kinds of places they represented (particularly the administrative layers). `layers` were also used to retrieve places from a particular source. `sources` is now a separate parameter from `layers` to help improve clarity.
 
 | Beta           |           V1 |       Represents |
 | -------------- | ------------ | ---------------- |
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ And the `sources` values are:
 | `boundary.country` | Search only within a particular country. Takes Alpha-2 or Alpha-3 country code abbreviations.|
 
 ## Coarse search
-Coarse search (looking for countries, regions, counties, localities, neighbourhoods), was previously available on `/search/coarse`. This is now handled as a layer on search.
+Coarse search (looking for countries, regions, counties, localities, neighbourhoods), were available on `/search/coarse`. This is now handled as a layer on search.
 
 A former query for a coarse geocode may have been:
 `https://pelias.mapzen.com/search/coarse?input=<search-text>`
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ You can also call the coarse layers directly, namely, `country`, `region`, `coun
 Feel free to mix and match these layers with `boundary` parameters, particularly `boundary.country` if you want to restrict your results to a particular country.
 
 ## `/autocomplete` (formerly `/suggest`)
-The `/autocomplete` endpoint serves as a renamed `/suggest` to indicate that these are not recommendations. It is subject to many of the same changes as `/search`:
+The `/autocomplete` endpoint serves as a renamed `/suggest` to show that these are not recommendations. It is subject to many of the same changes as `/search`:
 
 | Used to be (Beta) | New parameter (V1) | New behavior (if any) |
 | ---------- | ------------- | --------------------- |
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ Instead, Mapzen Search supports [Cross-Origin Resource Sharing](https://develope
 Mapzen Search is set to allow CORS requests from all domains.
 
 ### HTTPS
-Mapzen Search continues to support HTTPS and traditional HTTP. We encourage you to use HTTPS in lieu of HTTP, especially when handling sensitive personal information (such as users' searches or users' location data).
+Mapzen Search continues to support HTTPS and traditional HTTP. We encourage you to use HTTPS instead of HTTP, especially when handling sensitive personal information (such as users' searches or users' location data).
 
 ## What's happening to pelias.mapzen.com?
 The beta API available at pelias.mapzen.com will be available through the end of November, 2015. Starting December 1, 2015, you will only be able to use search.mapzen.com or your own hosted version of Pelias.
diff --git a/use-cors.md b/use-cors.md
index 6adfa31..c250ce1 100644
--- a/use-cors.md
+++ b/use-cors.md
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 # Load data from the browser
 
-For security reasons, web browsers prevent what are called cross-origin or cross-site requests from one domain to another. JavaScript `XMLHTTPRequests` (commonly called “AJAX” requests) inherit all of the authentication context of the currently logged in user, so a malicious web page could attempt to make malicious requests that cross domain contexts and cause trouble. Historically, that has made it difficult for web developers to build web applications making use of third-party APIs.
+For security reasons, web browsers prevent what are called cross-origin or cross-site requests from one domain to another. JavaScript `XMLHTTPRequests` (commonly called “AJAX” requests) inherit all the authentication context of the logged in user, so a malicious web page could try to make malicious requests that cross domain contexts and cause trouble. Historically, that has made it difficult for web developers to build web applications making use of third-party APIs.
 
 Fortunately, techniques have since been developed that allow developers to securely access APIs cross-domain.
 
 ## Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS)
 
-`CORS` is the recommended standard for allowing your web browser and a web server to negotiate and allow requests to be made across domain contexts. `CORS` is currently supported in modern Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer (10+) web browsers. It became an official W3C Recommendation on the 16th January 2014.
+`CORS` is the recommended standard for allowing your web browser and a web server to negotiate and allow requests to be made across domain contexts. `CORS` is supported in modern Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer (10+) web browsers. It became an official W3C Recommendation on the 16th January 2014.
 
-You don’t need to do anything special to use `CORS` with JavaScript in a modern browser. Your web browser and our servers will automatically negotiate the cross-origin request. For example, to make a `CORS` request with `jQuery`, you’d make your request just like you were performing it within the context of your own domain.
+You don’t need to do anything special to use `CORS` with JavaScript in a modern browser. Your web browser and our servers will automatically negotiate the cross-origin request. For example, to make a `CORS` request with `jQuery`, you’d make your request like you were performing it within the context of your own domain.
 
 For a full list of supported browsers see: http://caniuse.com/#feat=cors
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ interactive demo: http://jsfiddle.net/missinglink/nchh8a9j/
 
 Also called “JSON with Padding”, `JSONP` is a technique for fooling a web browser into performing cross-origin requests using a special `<script>` tag that uses the `src` attribute that to make a special API request.
 
-Instead of responding with just a `JSON` object, the server responds with JavaScript code that calls a client-declared callback function, passing the data as that function’s first parameter.
+Instead of responding with a `JSON` object, the server responds with JavaScript code that calls a client-declared callback function, passing the data as that function’s first parameter.
 
 `JSONP` **is disabled** by default for Mapzen Search, as `CORS` is offered as a more modern alternative.