Thanks for your replies, Bill and Amy. What I find particularly interesting about the article is the notion that there are larger, structural forces shaping the way academic prose gets written. I find this line especially sharp: "If journalists sound friendly, that’s because they’re writing for strangers. With academics, it’s the reverse." Writing for strangers means writing for people who have no obligation to read your work. In other words, writing for strangers forces you to ensure that your every word is pitched at engaging and holding someone else's attention.
That's not a bad way to approach writing, is it? Not taking your audience's interest for granted?