Boy Scout Rule

The Principle

• Leave the authorized task surface in better shape than you found it
• An observation grants no authority to expand the task, write another repository, or create external follow-up work
• Fix a defect when it is coherent with the task's accepted behavior and authorized scope

How to Apply

• In-scope defect — fix it in the current change and test the outcome
• Unrelated blocking risk — record it once with evidence, consequence, owner if known, and required next decision: in the existing authorized task record or current conversation
• Advisory — use rules/review-severity.md Split Reading From Acting
• Open an issue, pull request, or other external record only when the task or operator separately authorizes that action

Fold Into a Round Already in Flight

• Advisory folding follows rules/review-severity.md Split Reading From Acting
• Maintenance due in another repository and unrelated checkout hygiene stay observations
• These observations never become prerequisites for the selected task

Reconciliation With commit-conventions

• rules/commit-conventions.md keeps each commit and pull request focused
• Record an unrelated risk instead of bundling its repair into the current change