<h2>Why Code Reviews Matter</h2><p>Code reviews catch bugs, spread knowledge, and maintain consistency. But a <em>bad</em> review process can slow teams down and damage morale.</p><h3>For Reviewers</h3><ol><li><strong>Be kind.</strong> Critique the code, not the person</li><li><strong>Be specific.</strong> Say <em>what</em> to change and <em>why</em></li><li><strong>Be timely.</strong> Review within 24 hours when possible</li><li><strong>Pick your battles.</strong> Not every style preference is worth debating</li></ol><h3>For Authors</h3><ol><li>Keep pull requests small — under 400 lines if possible</li><li>Write a clear description explaining the <em>why</em></li><li>Self-review before requesting others</li><li>Don't take feedback personally</li></ol><blockquote><p>"Ask a programmer to review 10 lines of code, they'll find 10 issues. Ask them to review 500 lines, they'll say it looks good."</p></blockquote><h3>What to Look For</h3><ul><li>Logic errors and edge cases</li><li>Security vulnerabilities (SQL injection, XSS)</li><li>Performance concerns (N+1 queries, unnecessary loops)</li><li>Test coverage for new behavior</li></ul>