Re: How can we decrease the cognitive overhead for contributors?

[Ricardo Wurmus]

Josselin Poiret <dev@jpoiret.xyz> writes:

> Regarding the “mom argument”, I would disagree and say that this is
> completely related: interruptions are more costly, you're more likely to
> have less attention span, and overall you probably don't want to commit
> to 20 steps just to send a contribution.

That’s exactly it.

I’m a parent working a full-time job and I’m easily overwhelmed by what
I would have considered to be simple processes 20 years ago.  All these
simple and totally “easy” processes add up and – oops it’s 11:30pm
already and I had been feeling exhausted since 10am…

There’s an hour before I pass out — what will I do with it?  This thread
is about how we can reduce overhead; for me that would mean to have
certain checks automated, or to have commit messages be generated so I
only need to read them to sign off on them, etc.

We all may gain from streamlining our processes.  Personally, I see the
biggest problem in a lack of effective tools for reviewers, which
results in stretching out contribution interactions over weeks, months,
or years.  This, to me, would be a way to increase the weight of the
rewards on the unbalanced scales that are overwhelmed by chores on the
other side.

-- 
Ricardo