An agent writes a 200-line streaming-client implementation against your project’s pinned SDK. It compiles cleanly in the model’s head. The test code references SomeStreamEvent, the streaming function signature is func NewStreaming(ctx, params) (stream, error), and the iteration loop uses stream.Recv(). The reviewer skims it, sees plausible naming, approves. CI fails with “undefined: SomeStreamEvent”. The agent escalates: “the SDK is broken — package not found.” Hours later, somebody figures out that the SDK they’re pinned to has none of those symbols. The import path is different. The function returns one value not two. The iteration pattern is Next() / Current() / Err(), not Recv(). The model invented the API.

A pull request has two state: APPROVED reviews from different reviewers. Branch protection requires required_approvals: 1. The merge attempt returns HTTP 405 — "Does not have enough approvals". The protection config looks correct, the reviews look correct, and the error message looks misleading. The actual root cause is hidden in a field most operators never check: official.

What official means#

Every Gitea review carries an official boolean. Branch protection’s required_approvals counts only reviews where official: true. A reviewer’s APPROVE only flips to official: true if they were a write-level repository collaborator at the moment the review was filed.

Why Code Review Matters#

Code review catches bugs, but that is its least important function. Reviews spread knowledge across the team, enforce consistency, and create a record of design decisions. A codebase where every change passes through at least one other set of eyes develops fewer dark corners that only one person understands.

The cost is time. A poorly structured review process adds days to every change. The goal is to make reviews fast, focused, and useful – not ceremonial.