Make README.md introduction less esoteric.

README.md

@@ -1,21 +1,20 @@
 # Prometheus
 
-Bedecke deinen Himmel, Zeus!  A new kid is in town.
+Prometheus is a systems and service monitoring system. Prometheus' main
-
+distinguishing features as compared to other monitoring systems are:
-Prometheus is a generic time series collection and computation server that is
+
-useful in the following fields:
+- a **multi-dimensional** data model (timeseries defined by metric name and set of key/value dimensions)
-
+- a **flexible query language** to leverage this dimensionality
-* Industrial Experimentation / Real-Time Behavioral Validation / Software Release Qualification
+- no dependency on distributed storage; **single server nodes are autonomous**
-* Econometric and Natural Sciences
+- timeseries collection happens via a **pull model** over HTTP
-* Operational Concerns and Monitoring
+- **pushing timeseries** is supported via an intermediary gateway
-
+- targets are discovered via **service discovery** or **static configuration**
-The system is designed to collect telemetry from named targets on given
+- multiple modes of **graphing and dashboarding support**
-intervals, evaluate rule expressions, display the results, and trigger an
+- **federation support** coming soon
-action if some condition is observed to be true.
+
-
+Prometheus collects metrics from configured targets at given intervals,
-TODO: The above description is somewhat esoteric. Rephrase it into
+evaluates rule expressions, displays the results, and can trigger alerts
-something that tells normal people how they will usually benefit from
+if some condition is observed to be true.
-using Prometheus.
 
 ## Install