De-slop internal docs + config (repo now fully em-dash-free) (#98)

Co-authored-by: claude <claude@jpaul.io>
Co-committed-by: claude <claude@jpaul.io>

_TEMPLATE.md

@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@
   No padding. See AGENTS.md for the full conventions.
 -->
 
-# Module NN — <Title>
+# Module NN: <Title>
 
-> **<One-line hook.>** *Why this module exists for an IT pro — the pain it removes or the payoff it
-> unlocks. One sentence. Make them want to keep reading.*
+> **<One-line hook.>** *Why this module exists for an IT pro: the pain it removes or the payoff it
+> delivers. One sentence. Make them want to keep reading.*
 
 ---
 
@@ -21,13 +21,13 @@
 *Which prior modules this one depends on, named explicitly (the dependency chain). If a reader could
 parachute in here with only some of the course, say what they minimally need.*
 
-- Module X — <what it gave you that this module uses>
+- Module X: <what it gave you that this module uses>
 
 ---
 
 ## Learning objectives
 
-*3–5 outcomes, action verbs, phrased as what the reader can **do** afterward — not "understand X."*
+*3–5 outcomes, action verbs, phrased as what the reader can **do** afterward, not "understand X."*
 
 By the end of this module you can:
 
@@ -39,16 +39,16 @@ By the end of this module you can:
 
 ## Key concepts
 
-*The teaching content — **theory only**. Explain the concept and why it matters; reframe an ops
-instinct the reader already has. To show a command, show it **with example output** as illustration —
+*The teaching content: **theory only**. Explain the concept and why it matters; reframe an ops
+instinct the reader already has. To show a command, show it **with example output** as illustration;
 do NOT tell the reader to run anything here (all hands-on is the lab, and the lesson must not
-duplicate it). No "prose"/slop words. No fixed length — go as deep as the topic needs, no further.*
+duplicate it). No slop filler. No fixed length; go as deep as the topic needs, no further.*
 
 ---
 
 ## The AI angle
 
-*The module's AI-specific reason for existing — the thing that makes this more than a generic devops
+*The module's AI-specific reason for existing: the thing that makes this more than a generic devops
 lesson. Pull it from the syllabus entry for this module and make it concrete. This section is the
 differentiator; never skip it.*
 
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ differentiator; never skip it.*
 *The only place the reader runs things. End at a keyboard, not a quiz. State the lab language
 (Python or shell) once; provide starter files in `lab/` and reference them by path. **From Module 4
 on, the learner directs the AI agent (Claude Code as the worked example) to do the git/setup work
-and then verifies it — they don't type the commands by hand.** In Modules 1–3 the learner still
+and then verifies it; they don't type the commands by hand.** In Modules 1–3 the learner still
 runs git manually, on purpose.*
 
 **You'll need:** *<tools/setup required for this lab>*
@@ -73,14 +73,14 @@ runs git manually, on purpose.*
 
 ## Where it breaks
 
-*The honest caveats — limits, pitfalls, where a tool or analogy stops holding. This section builds
+*The honest caveats: limits, pitfalls, where a tool or analogy stops holding. This section builds
 trust with a skeptical audience. Always present; never sanded off.*
 
 ---
 
 ## Check for understanding
 
-*A short self-check or a concrete "you're done when…" criterion. Self-assessment only — no grading.*
+*A short self-check or a concrete "you're done when…" criterion. Self-assessment only, no grading.*
 
 **You're done when:** …
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ trust with a skeptical audience. Always present; never sanded off.*
 
 ## Verify-before-publish
 
-*For fast-moving topics only: what to re-check at build/publish time — versions, pricing, tool
+*For fast-moving topics only: what to re-check at build/publish time: versions, pricing, tool
 behavior, UI labels that drift. Omit this section for durable-core modules with nothing volatile.*
 
 - [ ] …