Grammar and style fixes, updated illustration.

templates/docs/configuring_checks.html

@@ -3,65 +3,67 @@
 monitor. For example, when monitoring cron jobs, you would create a separate check for
 each cron job to be monitored. SITE_NAME pricing plans are structured primarily
 around how many checks you can have in your account. You can create checks
-either in SITE_NAME web interface or by calling <a href="../api/">API</a>.</p>
+either in SITE_NAME web interface or by calling <a href="../api/">Management API</a>.</p>
 <h2>Name, Tags, Description</h2>
-<p>Describe each check using optional name, tags and description fields.</p>
+<p>Describe each check using an optional name, tags, and description fields.</p>
 <p><img alt="Editing name, tags and description" src="IMG_URL/edit_name.png" /></p>
 <ul>
 <li><strong>Name</strong>: names are optional, but it is a good idea to set them.
 Good naming becomes especially important as you add more checks in the
-account. Names are displayed in the web interface, in email reports and in the
-notifications that SITE_NAME sends out.</li>
+account. SITE_NAME will display check names in the web interface, in email reports,
+and in notifications.</li>
 <li><strong>Tags</strong>: a space-separated list of optional labels. Use tags to organize and group
-checks within a project. You can tag checks by environment
-(<code>prod</code>, <code>staging</code>, <code>dev</code>, ...) or by role (<code>www</code>, <code>db</code>, <code>worker</code>, ...) or using
+checks within a project. You can tag checks by the environment
+(<code>prod</code>, <code>staging</code>, <code>dev</code>, etc.) or by role (<code>www</code>, <code>db</code>, <code>worker</code>, etc.) or using
 any other system.</li>
 <li><strong>Description</strong>: a free-form text field with any related information for your team
-or for your future self: what is being monitored, who set it up,
-what to do in case of failures, where to look for additional information.</li>
+or your future self. Describe the cron job's role, who set it up, what to do in
+case of failures, where to look for additional information.</li>
 </ul>
 <h2>Simple Schedules</h2>
-<p>SITE_NAME supports two types of schedules: "simple" and "cron". Use "Simple" schedules
-for monitoring processes that are expected to run at relatively regular time
+<p>SITE_NAME supports two types of schedules: <strong>Simple</strong> and <strong>Cron</strong>. Use Simple
+schedules for monitoring processes that you expect to run at relatively regular time
 intervals: once an hour, once a day, once a week.</p>
 <p><img alt="Editing the period and grace time" src="IMG_URL/edit_simple_schedule.png" /></p>
-<p>For simple schedules you configure two time durations, Period and Grace Time.</p>
+<p>For the simple schedules, you can configure two parameters, Period and Grace Time.</p>
 <ul>
-<li><strong>Period</strong>: the expected time between pings</li>
-<li><strong>Grace Time</strong>: when a check is late, how long to wait before sending an alert.
-Use this variable to account for small, expected deviations in job execution times.</li>
+<li><strong>Period</strong> is the expected time between pings.</li>
+<li><strong>Grace Time</strong> is the additional time to wait before sending an alert when a check
+is late. Use this parameter to account for small, expected deviations in job
+execution times.</li>
 </ul>
 <h2>Cron Schedules</h2>
-<p>Use "cron" for monitoring processes with more complex schedules, and to ensure
-jobs run <strong>at the correct time</strong> (not just at correct time intervals).</p>
+<p>Use "cron" for monitoring processes with more complex schedules. This monitoring mode
+ensures that jobs run <strong>at the correct time</strong>, and not just at correct time intervals.</p>
 <p><img alt="Editing cron schedule" src="IMG_URL/edit_cron_schedule.png" /></p>
-<p>You will need to specify Cron Expression, Server's Time Zone and Grace Time.</p>
+<p>You will need to specify Cron Expression, Server's Time Zone, and Grace Time.</p>
 <ul>
-<li><strong>Cron Expression</strong>: enter the same expression you've used in the crontab.</li>
-<li><strong>Server's Time Zone</strong>: cron daemon typically uses the local time of the machine it is
-running on. If the machine is not using UTC timezone, you need to tell SITE_NAME
-what timezone to use.</li>
-<li><strong>Grace Time</strong>: same as for simple schedules, how long to wait before sending an alert
-for a late check.</li>
+<li><strong>Cron Expression</strong> is the cron expression you specified in the crontab.</li>
+<li><strong>Server's Time Zone</strong> is the timezone of your server. The cron daemon typically uses
+system's local time. If the machine is not using the UTC timezone, you need to
+specify it here.</li>
+<li><strong>Grace Time</strong>, same as for simple schedules, is how long to wait before sending an
+alert for a late check.</li>
 </ul>
 <h2>Filtering Rules</h2>
-<p>In the "Filtering Rules" dialog you can control several advanced aspects of
+<p>In the "Filtering Rules" dialog, you can control several advanced aspects of
 how SITE_NAME handles incoming pings for a particular check.</p>
 <p><img alt="Setting filtering rules" src="IMG_URL/filtering_rules.png" /></p>
 <ul>
 <li><strong>Allowed request methods for HTTP requests</strong>. You can require the ping
 requests to use HTTP POST. Use the "Only POST" option if you run into issues of
 preview bots hitting the ping URLs when you send them in email or post them in chat.</li>
-<li><strong>Filter by keywords in the Subject line</strong>. When pinging via <a href="../email/">email</a>,
+<li><strong>Filter by keywords in the Subject line</strong>. When pinging <a href="../email/">via email</a>,
 look for specific keywords in the subject line. If the subject line contains any of
 the keywords listed in <strong>Success Keywords</strong>, SITE_NAME will assume it to be a success
 signal. Likewise, if it contains any of the keywords listed in <strong>Failure Keywords</strong>,
 SITE_NAME will treat it as an explicit failure signal.
-This is useful, for example, if your backup software sends an email after each backup
+For example, this is useful if your backup software sends an email after each backup
 run with a different subject line depending on success or failure.</li>
-<li><strong>Pinging a Paused Check</strong>. When you ping a paused check, normally it leaves
-the paused state and goes into the "up" or "down" state (depending on the type of
-the ping). This changes if you select the "Ignore the ping, stay in the paused state"
-option: the paused state becomes "sticky". SITE_NAME will ignore all incoming pings
-until you explicitly <em>resume</em> the check.</li>
+<li><strong>Pinging a Paused Check</strong>. Normally, when you ping a paused check, it leaves the
+paused state and goes into the "up" state (or the "down" state
+in case of <a href="../signalling_failures/">a failure signal</a>).
+You can change this behavior by selecting the "Ignore the ping, stay in
+the paused state" option. With this option selected, the paused state becomes "sticky":
+SITE_NAME will ignore all incoming pings until you explicitly <em>resume</em> the check.</li>
 </ul>

templates/docs/configuring_checks.md

@@ -4,59 +4,60 @@ In SITE_NAME, a **Check** represents a single service you want to
 monitor. For example, when monitoring cron jobs, you would create a separate check for
 each cron job to be monitored. SITE_NAME pricing plans are structured primarily
 around how many checks you can have in your account. You can create checks
-either in SITE_NAME web interface or by calling [API](../api/).
+either in SITE_NAME web interface or by calling [Management API](../api/).
 
 ## Name, Tags, Description
 
-Describe each check using optional name, tags and description fields.
+Describe each check using an optional name, tags, and description fields.
 
 ![Editing name, tags and description](IMG_URL/edit_name.png)
 
 * **Name**: names are optional, but it is a good idea to set them.
 Good naming becomes especially important as you add more checks in the
-account. Names are displayed in the web interface, in email reports and in the
-notifications that SITE_NAME sends out.
+account. SITE_NAME will display check names in the web interface, in email reports,
+and in notifications.
 * **Tags**: a space-separated list of optional labels. Use tags to organize and group
-checks within a project. You can tag checks by environment
-(`prod`, `staging`, `dev`, ...) or by role (`www`, `db`, `worker`, ...) or using
+checks within a project. You can tag checks by the environment
+(`prod`, `staging`, `dev`, etc.) or by role (`www`, `db`, `worker`, etc.) or using
 any other system.
 * **Description**: a free-form text field with any related information for your team
-or for your future self: what is being monitored, who set it up,
-what to do in case of failures, where to look for additional information.
+or your future self. Describe the cron job's role, who set it up, what to do in
+case of failures, where to look for additional information.
 
 ## Simple Schedules
 
-SITE_NAME supports two types of schedules: "simple" and "cron". Use "Simple" schedules
-for monitoring processes that are expected to run at relatively regular time
+SITE_NAME supports two types of schedules: **Simple** and **Cron**. Use Simple
+schedules for monitoring processes that you expect to run at relatively regular time
 intervals: once an hour, once a day, once a week.
 
 ![Editing the period and grace time](IMG_URL/edit_simple_schedule.png)
 
-For simple schedules you configure two time durations, Period and Grace Time.
+For the simple schedules, you can configure two parameters, Period and Grace Time.
 
-* **Period**: the expected time between pings
-* **Grace Time**: when a check is late, how long to wait before sending an alert.
-Use this variable to account for small, expected deviations in job execution times.
+* **Period** is the expected time between pings.
+* **Grace Time** is the additional time to wait before sending an alert when a check
+is late. Use this parameter to account for small, expected deviations in job
+execution times.
 
 ## Cron Schedules
 
-Use "cron" for monitoring processes with more complex schedules, and to ensure
-jobs run **at the correct time** (not just at correct time intervals).
+Use "cron" for monitoring processes with more complex schedules. This monitoring mode
+ensures that jobs run **at the correct time**, and not just at correct time intervals.
 
 ![Editing cron schedule](IMG_URL/edit_cron_schedule.png)
 
-You will need to specify Cron Expression, Server's Time Zone and Grace Time.
+You will need to specify Cron Expression, Server's Time Zone, and Grace Time.
 
-* **Cron Expression**: enter the same expression you've used in the crontab.
-* **Server's Time Zone**: cron daemon typically uses the local time of the machine it is
-running on. If the machine is not using UTC timezone, you need to tell SITE_NAME
-what timezone to use.
-* **Grace Time**: same as for simple schedules, how long to wait before sending an alert
-for a late check.
+* **Cron Expression** is the cron expression you specified in the crontab.
+* **Server's Time Zone** is the timezone of your server. The cron daemon typically uses
+system's local time. If the machine is not using the UTC timezone, you need to
+specify it here.
+* **Grace Time**, same as for simple schedules, is how long to wait before sending an
+alert for a late check.
 
 ## Filtering Rules
 
-In the "Filtering Rules" dialog you can control several advanced aspects of
+In the "Filtering Rules" dialog, you can control several advanced aspects of
 how SITE_NAME handles incoming pings for a particular check.
 
 ![Setting filtering rules](IMG_URL/filtering_rules.png)
@@ -64,15 +65,16 @@ how SITE_NAME handles incoming pings for a particular check.
 * **Allowed request methods for HTTP requests**. You can require the ping
 requests to use HTTP POST. Use the "Only POST" option if you run into issues of
 preview bots hitting the ping URLs when you send them in email or post them in chat.
-* **Filter by keywords in the Subject line**. When pinging via [email](../email/),
+* **Filter by keywords in the Subject line**. When pinging [via email](../email/),
 look for specific keywords in the subject line. If the subject line contains any of
 the keywords listed in **Success Keywords**, SITE_NAME will assume it to be a success
 signal. Likewise, if it contains any of the keywords listed in **Failure Keywords**,
 SITE_NAME will treat it as an explicit failure signal.
-This is useful, for example, if your backup software sends an email after each backup
+For example, this is useful if your backup software sends an email after each backup
 run with a different subject line depending on success or failure.
-* **Pinging a Paused Check**. When you ping a paused check, normally it leaves
-the paused state and goes into the "up" or "down" state (depending on the type of
-the ping). This changes if you select the "Ignore the ping, stay in the paused state"
-option: the paused state becomes "sticky". SITE_NAME will ignore all incoming pings
-until you explicitly *resume* the check.
+* **Pinging a Paused Check**. Normally, when you ping a paused check, it leaves the
+paused state and goes into the "up" state (or the "down" state
+in case of [a failure signal](../signalling_failures/)).
+You can change this behavior by selecting the "Ignore the ping, stay in
+the paused state" option. With this option selected, the paused state becomes "sticky":
+SITE_NAME will ignore all incoming pings until you explicitly *resume* the check.

templates/docs/introduction.html

@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 <h1>SITE_NAME Documentation</h1>
 <p>SITE_NAME is a service for monitoring cron jobs and similar periodic processes:</p>
 <ul>
-<li>SITE_NAME <strong>listens for HTTP requests ("pings")</strong> from services being monitored.</li>
+<li>SITE_NAME <strong>listens for HTTP requests ("pings")</strong> from your cron jobs and scheduled
+  tasks.</li>
 <li>It <strong>keeps silent</strong> as long as pings arrive on time.</li>
 <li>It <strong>raises an alert</strong> as soon as a ping does not arrive on time.</li>
 </ul>
 <p>SITE_NAME works as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_man%27s_switch">dead man's switch</a> for processes that need to
-run continuously or on regular, known schedule. For example:</p>
+run continuously or on a regular, known schedule. For example:</p>
 <ul>
 <li>filesystem backups, database backups</li>
 <li>task queues</li>

templates/docs/introduction.md

@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@
 
 SITE_NAME is a service for monitoring cron jobs and similar periodic processes:
 
-* SITE_NAME **listens for HTTP requests ("pings")** from services being monitored.
+* SITE_NAME **listens for HTTP requests ("pings")** from your cron jobs and scheduled
+  tasks.
 * It **keeps silent** as long as pings arrive on time.
 * It **raises an alert** as soon as a ping does not arrive on time.
 
 SITE_NAME works as a [dead man's switch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_man%27s_switch) for processes that need to
-run continuously or on regular, known schedule. For example:
+run continuously or on a regular, known schedule. For example:
 
 * filesystem backups, database backups
 * task queues