Reformat and add links to README

The readme is heavy on links and hard to read in source form when using
typical inline Markdown links. The following changes have been made to
increase readability.

 - Wrap lines at 80 characters
 - Use 'implicit link name' shortcut syntax as described at [1]
 - Add link to 'spring-mvc' Stack Overflow tag as well
 - Add link to new 'lifecycle of an issue' wiki doc

[1]: http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax

README.md

 ## Spring Framework
-The Spring Framework provides a comprehensive programming and configuration model for modern
-Java-based enterprise applications - on any kind of deployment platform. A key element of Spring is
-infrastructural support at the application level: Spring focuses on the "plumbing" of enterprise
-applications so that teams can focus on application-level business logic, without unnecessary ties
-to specific deployment environments.
+The Spring Framework provides a comprehensive programming and configuration
+model for modern Java-based enterprise applications - on any kind of deployment
+platform. A key element of Spring is infrastructural support at the application
+level: Spring focuses on the "plumbing" of enterprise applications so that teams
+can focus on application-level business logic, without unnecessary ties to
+specific deployment environments.
 
-The framework also serves as the foundation for
-[Spring Integration](https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-integration),
-[Spring Batch](https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-batch) and the rest of the Spring
-[family of projects](http://springsource.org/projects). Browse the repositories under the
-[SpringSource organization](https://github.com/SpringSource) on GitHub for a full list.
+The framework also serves as the foundation for [Spring Integration][], [Spring
+Batch][] and the rest of the Spring [family of projects][]. Browse the
+repositories under the [SpringSource organization][] on GitHub for a full list.
 
-[.NET](https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-net) and
-[Python](https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-python) variants are available as well.
+[.NET][] and [Python][] variants are available as well.
 
 ## Downloading artifacts
-See [downloading Spring artifacts](https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-framework/wiki/Downloading-Spring-artifacts)
-for Maven repository information. Unable to use Maven or other transitive dependency management tools?
-See [building a distribution with dependencies](https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-framework/wiki/Building-a-distribution-with-dependencies).
+See [downloading Spring artifacts][] for Maven repository information. Unable to
+use Maven or other transitive dependency management tools? See [building a
+distribution with dependencies][].
 
 ## Documentation
-See the current [Javadoc](http://static.springsource.org/spring-framework/docs/current/api)
-and [Reference docs](http://static.springsource.org/spring-framework/docs/current/reference).
+See the current [Javadoc][] and [reference docs][].
 
 ## Getting support
-Check out the [Spring forums](http://forum.springsource.org) and the
-[Spring tag](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/spring) on StackOverflow.
-[Commercial support](http://springsource.com/support/springsupport) is available too.
+Check out the [Spring forums][] and the [spring][spring tag] and
+[spring-mvc][spring-mvc tag] tags on [Stack Overflow][]. [Commercial support][]
+is available too.
 
 ## Issue Tracking
-Spring's JIRA issue tracker can be found [here](http://jira.springsource.org/browse/SPR). Think
-you've found a bug? Please consider submitting a reproduction project via the
-[spring-framework-issues](https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-framework-issues) repository. The
-[readme](https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-framework-issues#readme) provides simple
-step-by-step instructions.  <a name="building_from_source"/>
+Report issues via the [Spring Framework JIRA]. Understand our issue management
+process by reading about [the lifecycle of an issue][]. Think you've found a
+bug? Please consider submitting a reproduction project via the
+[spring-framework-issues][] GitHub repository. The [readme][] there provides
+simple step-by-step instructions.
 
 ## Building from source
-The Spring Framework uses a [Gradle](http://gradle.org)-based build system. In the instructions
-below, [`./gradlew`](http://vimeo.com/34436402) is invoked from the root of the source tree and
-serves as a cross-platform, self-contained bootstrap mechanism for the build. The only
-prerequisites are [git](http://help.github.com/set-up-git-redirect) and JDK 1.6+.
+The Spring Framework uses a [Gradle][]-based build system. In the instructions
+below, [`./gradlew`][] is invoked from the root of the source tree and serves as
+a cross-platform, self-contained bootstrap mechanism for the build. The only
+prerequisites are [Git][] and JDK 1.6+.
 
 ### check out sources
 `git clone git://github.com/SpringSource/spring-framework.git`
@@ -53,19 +50,47 @@ prerequisites are [git](http://help.github.com/set-up-git-redirect) and JDK 1.6+
 ### import sources into your IDE
 Run `./import-into-eclipse.sh` or read `import-into-idea.md` as appropriate.
 
-... and discover more commands with `./gradlew tasks`. See also the
-[Gradle build and release FAQ](https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-framework/wiki/Gradle-build-and-release-FAQ).
+... and discover more commands with `./gradlew tasks`. See also the [Gradle
+build and release FAQ][].
 
 ## Contributing
-[Pull requests](http://help.github.com/send-pull-requests) are welcome; see the
-[contributor guidelines](https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-framework/wiki/Contributor-guidelines).
+[Pull requests][] are welcome; see the [contributor guidelines][].
 
 ## Staying in touch
-Follow [@springframework](http://twitter.com/springframework) and its
-[team members](http://twitter.com/springframework/team/members) on Twitter. In-depth articles can be
-found at the SpringSource [team blog](http://blog.springsource.org), and releases are announced via
-our [news feed](http://www.springsource.org/news-events).
+Follow [@springframework][] and its [team members][] on Twitter. In-depth
+articles can be found at the SpringSource [team blog][], and releases are
+announced via our [news feed][].
 
 ## License
-The Spring Framework is released under version 2.0 of the
-[Apache License](http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0).
+The Spring Framework is released under version 2.0 of the [Apache License][].
+
+[Spring Integration]: https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-integration
+[Spring Batch]: https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-batch
+[family of projects]: http://springsource.org/projects
+[SpringSource organization]: https://github.com/SpringSource
+[.NET]: https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-net
+[Python]: https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-python
+[downloading Spring artifacts]: https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-framework/wiki/Downloading-Spring-artifacts
+[building a distribution with dependencies]: https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-framework/wiki/Building-a-distribution-with-dependencies
+[Javadoc]: http://static.springsource.org/spring-framework/docs/current/javadoc-api
+[reference docs]: http://static.springsource.org/spring-framework/docs/current/spring-framework-reference
+[Spring forums]: http://forum.springsource.org
+[spring tag]: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/spring
+[spring-mvc tag]: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/spring-mvc
+[Stack Overflow]: http://stackoverflow.com/faq
+[Commercial support]: http://springsource.com/support/springsupport
+[Spring Framework JIRA]: http://jira.springsource.org/browse/SPR
+[the lifecycle of an issue]: https://github.com/cbeams/spring-framework/wiki/The-Lifecycle-of-an-Issue
+[spring-framework-issues]: https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-framework-issues#readme
+[readme]: https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-framework-issues#readme
+[Gradle]: http://gradle.org
+[`./gradlew`]: http://vimeo.com/34436402
+[Git]: http://help.github.com/set-up-git-redirect
+[Gradle build and release FAQ]: https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-framework/wiki/Gradle-build-and-release-FAQ
+[Pull requests]: http://help.github.com/send-pull-requests
+[contributor guidelines]: https://github.com/SpringSource/spring-framework/wiki/Contributor-guidelines
+[@springframework]: http://twitter.com/springframework
+[team members]: http://twitter.com/springframework/team/members
+[team blog]: http://blog.springsource.org
+[news feed]: http://www.springsource.org/news-events
+[Apache License]: http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0