[SideburnsOfDoom]

> the author describes CI as a sanity check

Which is a nonsense, since CI is the practice of merging to master frequently, in a state that can be released if need be.

We won't understand it unless we distinguish the practice from the supporting tools that help us do it safely:

in this case, the practice is frequent merge to shared trunk, and the supporting tools are as many automated checks before and after that merge as can be done quickly.

A "CI build" of a branch is a tool to help you do CI, but unless you merge that branch when it's green, you're not _doing_ CI.

Misunderstanding this and doing "CI on a branch" means that you are mistaking the tool for the practice, and not doing the practice: by delaying integration, you will be accomplishing the opposite of CI.