dev process - reduce mistakes

[Tobin C. Harding]

On Tue, Sep 18, 2018 at 10:01:19PM -0400, Cindy-Sue Causey wrote:
> On 9/18/18, Tobin C. Harding <me at tobin.cc> wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I'm after some advice from those more experienced with [kernel]
> > development please.
> >
> > What systems do you have in place to help catch mistakes?  In other
> > words; what processes do you use when coding and submitting patches to
> > help eliminate simple mistakes?  So far my best method is getting a
> > patch [set] ready then waiting until the next day before reviewing the
> > set and submitting.  I am facing an issue where by when doing (less than
> > super interesting) large patch sets (like docs fixes) that by the time I
> > get to the final review my eyes glaze over and I'm still missing
> > mistakes.
> >
> > My future maintainers will thank you ;)
> 
> 
> For the docs part of what you're doing, *I* read what I write out loud
> and deliberately very slowly so that I actually see each word. I
> *empathize* with you. I experience something similar regarding my
> often long winded emails. I'll proofread literally 10 or 15 times then
> see that one last mistake...
> 
> That I MISSED... as the email is disappearing out of sight because it
> has just been sent to a listserv. :D
> 
> Reading out loud **slower** than I normally would helps me see AND
> hear mistakes. If I read at a normal speed, even if I do so out loud,
> it's some kind of a Human nature thing that I'll keep reading my
> mistakes wrongly by mentally "glossing over" those mistakes instead of
> seeing them for the oopsies they are. Instead of catching those
> mistakes and fixing them, I just keep saying them WRONG out loud over
> and over (AND over) if I do so at a normal conversational speaking
> speed. :))
> 
> Have fun!
> 
> Cindy :)

Awesome, thanks Cindy.  Just the sort of tip I was after.

thanks,
Tobin.