using `var err error` at the top is a sensible solution, I'm surprised this isn't the norm. As for dealing with the errors, there is value in wrapping an error with a message at the source of the error, but much of what follows is just passing the error up to whichever function is responsible for handling it (which may be, as you say, retrying after a period), analogous to rust's `?` operator. There is a proposal for defining a general error handler (see https://go.googlesource.com/proposal/+/master/design/go2draf...) but iirc that's in limbo at the moment