Over-editingWrong assumptions
Failure case: over-editing after only partial repository understanding
A common failure mode where the agent reads just enough of a repository to sound credible, then expands the patch beyond what the evidence supports.
April 4, 2026Codex / Claude Code
Lesson
Do not reward broad patches built on shallow repository evidence.
Pattern
The system scans a few files, forms a plausible narrative, and then edits more surface area than the evidence justifies.
That sequence is dangerous because the language often sounds calm and competent right up to the point where the review burden spikes.
What the publication should do
When this pattern appears, the report should name it directly and preserve the case in the archive. Readers need to see that false confidence and scope creep often arrive together.