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Discussion on: Crafting Better Code Reviews

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isaacdlyman profile image
Isaac Lyman

Another thing, bugs don't care about your feelings. Sorry but that's the truth. Code reviews are there to improve code quality (less bugs) and definitely not to hurt your feelings. So put those feelings in a box. Code reviews should not be emotional. It's just code, man. ...So you can either fight the process or just accept the criticisms (good/bad) and just see all this as a learning opportunity.

That's not how teams work. Someone's "feelings" are never "in a box." Sure, I've heard (colloquially) of people who are offended by any form of feedback, and that's dysfunctional on their part. But almost everyone is willing to accept feedback if it's delivered respectfully, and will respond with avoidance or aggression if it's not. So considering people's feelings in code review makes it a more effective and positive process for everyone. In fact, it's a professional requirement. You can't stop being kind and respectful to a person just because their bug doesn't care.

Bugs may not care about your feelings, but bugs are almost never the biggest problem on a software team. And "It's just code" is a short-sighted description of software development; it's almost entirely about human beings and the way they think and interact. The code itself is a triviality.

Reading through your comment again, I think you may have said some things you didn't really mean. I hope I haven't misjudged you and I'd be happy to discuss this further if you'd like to clarify.