updated readme

Author: cwensel

README.md

@@ -6,22 +6,68 @@ Thanks for using Cascading.
 
 For project documentation and community support, visit: [cascading.org](http://cascading.org/)
 
-This distribution includes five Cascading jar files:
+To download a pre-built distribution, visit [http://www.cascading.org/downloads/](http://www.cascading.org/downloads/),
+or use Maven (described below).
 
-* cascading-core-x.y.z.jar     - all Cascading Core class files
-* cascading-xml-x.y.z.jar      - all Cascading XML operations class files
-* cascading-local-x.y.z.jar    - all Cascading Local mode class files
-* cascading-hadoop-x.y.z.jar   - all Cascading Hadoop mode class files
-* cascading-platform-x.y.z.jar - all Cascading common platform tests and test utilities
+The distribution includes four Cascading jar files:
 
-These class jars, along with source and javadoc jars, are all available via the [Conjars.org](http://conjars.org)
-Maven repository.
+* `cascading-core-x.y.z.jar`     - all Cascading Core class files
+* `cascading-xml-x.y.z.jar`      - all Cascading XML operations class files
+* `cascading-local-x.y.z.jar`    - all Cascading Local mode class files
+* `cascading-hadoop-x.y.z.jar`   - all Cascading Hadoop mode class files
+
+These class jars, along with, tests, source and javadoc jars, are all available via the
+[Conjars.org](http://conjars.org) Maven repository.
 
 Hadoop mode is where the Cascading application should run on a Hadoop cluster.
 
 Local mode is where the Cascading application will run locally in memory without any Hadoop dependenices.
 
-The Platform jar only includes tests common across all supported platforms.
+## Versioning
+
+Cascading stable releases are always of the form `x.y.z`, where `z` is the current maintenance release.
+
+The source and tags for all stable releases can be found here:
+[https://github.com/Cascading/cascading](https://github.com/Cascading/cascading)
+
+WIP (work in progress) releases are fully tested builds of code not yet deemed fully stable. On every build by our
+continuous integration servers, the WIP build number is increased. Successful builds are then tagged and published.
+
+The WIP releases are always of the form `x.y.z-wip-n`, where `x.y.z` will be the next stable release version the WIP
+releases are leading up to. `n` is the current successfully tested build.
+
+The source, working branches, and tags for all WIP releases can be found here:
+[https://github.com/cwensel/cascading](https://github.com/cwensel/cascading)
+
+When a WIP is deemed stable and ready for production use, it will be published as a `x.y.z` release.
+
+## Using with Maven/Ivy
+
+It is strongly recommended developers pull Cascading from our Maven compatible jar repository
+[Conjars.org](http://conjars.org).
+
+You can find the latest public and wip (work in progress) releases here:
+
+*  http://conjars.org/cascading/cascading-core
+*  http://conjars.org/cascading/cascading-local
+*  http://conjars.org/cascading/cascading-hadoop
+*  http://conjars.org/cascading/cascading-xml
+
+When creating tests, make sure to add any of the relevant above dependencies to your "test" scope or equivalent
+configuration along with the `cascading-platform` dependency.
+
+*  http://conjars.org/cascading/cascading-platform
+
+Note the `cascading-plaform` compile dependency has no classes, you must pull the tests dependency with the
+"tests" classifier.
+
+See [http://www.cascading.org/downloads/#maven](http://www.cascading.org/downloads/#maven) for example Maven pom
+dependency settings.
+
+Source and Javadoc artifacts (using the appropriate classifier) are also available through Conjars.
+
+Note that `cascading-hadoop` has a "provided" dependency on the Hadoop jars so that it won't get sucked into any
+application packaging as a dependency, typically.
 
 ## Building:
 
@@ -57,4 +103,5 @@ For example, your job jar would look like this (via: `jar -t your.jar`)
 /lib/<cascading third-party jar files>
 ```
 
-Hadoop will unpack the jar locally and remotely (in the cluster) and add any libraries in `lib` to the classpath. This is a feature specific to Hadoop.
+Hadoop will unpack the jar locally and remotely (in the cluster) and add any libraries in `lib` to the classpath. This
+is a feature specific to Hadoop.