Tighten Instruction

Two passes in order: clarify the text into plain words, then tighten each distinct instruction or fact to one line — clarity first, so tightening never compresses back into jargon.

Steps

1. State the goal in one sentence: what should the reader do or know after reading it?

2. Clarify — make every phrase read cold (clear on its own). Decompose the line into phrases; name each phrase's intended meaning and fix any that won't land:

   • Jargon → plain word ("down-weight" → "rank lower").
   • Abstraction → concrete verb/noun ("optimize for" → "rank by").
   • Ambiguous referent → name it ("them" / "the better one" → the actual subject).
   • Mismatched verb → the true actor ("pick" when you only recommend → "favor").
   • Cryptic compression → unpack it ("not least effort" → "not the easiest option").

   Spend length here when it buys comprehension; preserve the meaning exactly.

3. Tighten — cut what the clear line doesn't need. Drop any line whose only purpose is "restate the goal," "hedge," or "explain why"; keep a non-derivable rationale as a fact in Step 4. Collapse clauses the positive form already implies, and rename a heading that misnames its content. Never trade a plain word back for jargon to save space.