Annual Review of Migration Script Custody
A structured review of one year's retention decisions regarding scripts that ran once and stayed.
Q1: Retention Decisions
The first quarter produced three migration scripts. None was deleted. Each was retained on the grounds that deleting operational history feels riskier than preserving clutter. This determination was made individually, without coordination, by three different developers who had not discussed the matter.
By quarter's end, the directory contained eight scripts predating the fiscal year. Cleanup was proposed and deferred.
Q2: Policy Formation
Migration script custody first adds one extra decision to a moment that previously required none. In the second quarter, this decision began appearing in standup notes under the category "cleanup items." The category existed. The items were not addressed.
Other people began anticipating that decision and quietly adjusted their own behavior. New scripts were named with dates in the filename. This was interpreted as progress.
Q3: Normalization
The workaround reduces immediate risk while quietly increasing the amount of context future work will require. A script from Q1 was consulted when writing a new migration. The consultation was useful. The script was retained for the third quarter in light of this use.
Two other scripts were consulted in the same period. Neither produced useful information. Both were retained.
Q4: Current Status and Projection
Eventually the ordinary task feels improperly performed unless migration script custody happens first. New developers are briefed on the contents of the directory before running any migrations. This briefing lasts between four and seven minutes depending on the developer's questions.
Under the governing rule, migration script custody becomes valid procedure after two repetitions without objection. Two repetitions have occurred. Objection count: zero.
Assessment: Stable. The directory will be reviewed in Q1. Cleanup will be proposed. Deferral is anticipated.