> 2. Simplify sentences. Cut adjectives. Shorten. It reads academic.
You bring up some valid issues, but I think you're missing the point of the guide: To be friendly. It has a few parts that could use some editing but overall it feels friendly and interactive. Some of the changes you suggest make it seem cold and boring, which (to me at least) would be a reason to put it down and never pick it back up.
Personality and friendliness don't come from unnecessary words. A book should be written with authority and emphasize with the reader. Some parts of the text do this well, such as this:
> Learning HTML and CSS is hard, but it doesn’t have to be.
That's a great start. It's friendly and it doesn't have unnecessary words in it. It's actually quite powerful.
There's a fine line between being friendly and starting to babble.
You bring up some valid issues, but I think you're missing the point of the guide: To be friendly. It has a few parts that could use some editing but overall it feels friendly and interactive. Some of the changes you suggest make it seem cold and boring, which (to me at least) would be a reason to put it down and never pick it back up.