Scratches to a CF, do they need to be addressed?
 

I am wondering if minor scratches to a carbon frame need any particular attention, as I imagine a steel frame would to prevent rust, or are they purely aesthetic. The type of scratches I'm talking about are from things like chain slap, where only the paint is damaged and not deep enough to impact the CF itself.

No.

Yes. All CF scratches need to be addressed in order to prevent moisture from eventually seeping into the matrix.

I don't worry about them.

Depends how deep the scratches are. If they don't get past the paint or clear coat, certainly they can be ignored. Beyond that, the first layer of carbon is usually cosmetic and protects the more critical layers below, so again, if they don't get past that, it's also OK. I don't know how you judge how deep is too deep though. Probably deep enough that you wouldn't think of it as a "scratch" anymore, more like a gouge.

Consider the source.