This interview was recorded for GOTO Unscripted. #GOTOcon #GOTOunscripted
https://gotopia.tech
Read the full transcription of this interview here:
https://gotopia.tech/articles/372
Paul Slaughter - Staff Fullstack Engineer at GitLab & Creator of Conventional Comments @souldzin
Adrienne Braganza Tacke - Senior Developer Advocate at Viam Robotics & Author of "Looks Good To Me: Constructive Code Reviews" @adriennebraganzatacke
RESOURCES
Paul
https://x.com/souldzin
https://github.com/souldzin
https://gitlab.com/pslaughter
https://gitlab.com/souldzin
https://souldzin.com
Adrienne
https://bsky.app/profile/abt.bsky.social
https://x.com/AdrienneTacke
https://github.com/AdrienneTacke
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriennetacke
https://www.instagram.com/adriennetacke
https://www.adrienne.io
https://blog.adrienne.io
Links
https://conventionalcomments.org
https://youtu.be/3NdTNJyuWbA
https://youtu.be/I9mBP0v-L_o
https://youtu.be/LTFe7Zj-hzQ
https://youtu.be/4wH-BI2YeX4
https://youtu.be/AYUNI2Pm6_w
https://youtu.be/c68K94-hJK8
https://youtu.be/28S4CVkYhWA
DESCRIPTION
Can "Conventional Comments" transform code reviews from frustrating experiences into productive collaborations?
Paul Slaughter shares his experience developing and practicing "Conventional Comments", a structured approach to improving code review communications through labeled feedback. The conversation explores clear communication patterns with labels (e.g. 'suggestion:', 'issue:' or 'question:').
Paul and Adrienne discuss the importance of empathy in the review process, the balance between politeness and efficiency, and how GitLab's Code Review Weekly Workshops have helped normalize review experiences across their remote teams. The interview highlights that effective code reviews depend not just on technical evaluations but on thoughtful communication that acknowledges developers' emotional investment in their work while fostering a culture of collaborative ownership.
TIMECODES
00:00 Intro
01:32 Conventional Comments: Origins & structure
09:34 The most common labels & their uses
14:01 Navigating disagreements in code reviews
19:01 Code review culture & communication
28:54 Code review weekly workshops & team learning
41:03 Outro
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Adrienne Braganza Tacke • "Looks Good to Me": Constructive Code Reviews • https://amzn.to/3E75XrD
Adrienne Braganza Tacke • Coding for Kids • https://amzn.to/3Ukd5Gw
Grace Huang • Code Reviews in Tech • https://amzn.to/4fbwYr8
Martin Fowler • Refactoring • https://amzn.to/3EVcHXQ
Matthew Skelton & Manuel Pais • Team Topologies • http://amzn.to/3sVLyLQ
Dave Thomas & Andy Hunt • The Pragmatic Programmer • https://amzn.to/3azvUy3
https://bsky.app/profile/gotocon.com
https://twitter.com/GOTOcon
https://www.linkedin.com/company/goto-
https://www.instagram.com/goto_con
https://www.facebook.com/GOTOConferences
#CodeReviews #ConventionalComments #TeamDynamics #CodeQuality #PairProgramming #TeamHappiness #SoftwareEngineering #Programming #AdrienneBraganza #AdrienneTacke #PaulSlaughter
CHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUS
Join this channel to get early access to videos & other perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/join
Looking for a unique learning experience?
Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket at https://gotopia.tech
Sign up for updates and specials at https://gotopia.tech/newsletter
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL - new videos posted almost daily.
https://www.youtube.com/user/GotoConferences/?sub_confirmation=1