Why Instead of What

Writing a good commit message is an important collaborative skill on a software project.

See:
- http://who-t.blogspot.de/2009/12/on-commit-messages.html
- http://tbaggery.com/2008/04/19/a-note-about-git-commit-messages.html
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/pull/17#issuecomment-5661185

While all the formatting advice can seem pretty nitpicky, there are a couple principles that stand out to me:

1. Above all, clearly and concisely state WHY you are making the change
2. Also, include all the considerations that went into this change and why you are making THIS change instead of any others you considered

Even if the formatting isn't perfect or wouldn't meet the linux kernel mailing list standards, just having the context later when you are scratching your head wondering "why?" - that is invaluable.