The success of the approach mentioned (ask instead of assert) depends a lot on the culture of the receiving developer. Also, if there's a language barrier, bein

The success of the approach mentioned (ask instead of assert) depends a lot on the culture of the receiving developer. Also, if there's a language barrier, being subtle can actually muddy the waters instead of help the situation. You can phrase things directly, even adding minimizing language (to save face), but be clear about the problem during the review.