One-knob processing: useful constraint or hidden guesswork?
A focused macro is useful when its internal behavior is bounded and the user can verify the result quickly.
Diagnosis
- Know what family of changes the macro controls.
- Level-match bypass.
- Test at more than one source level.
Decision
- Use the macro to reach a candidate faster.
- Stop when the source stops improving.
- Keep a reversible A/B.
Measurement boundary
Speed is valuable only if the result remains inspectable and repeatable.
Common failure: A macro that wins only because it is louder is not solving the problem.