Comments on: The Curious Case of the Missing Present https://andypalmer.com/2010/01/the-curious-case-of-the-missing-present/ Views on software, technology, consulting and business process Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:46:56 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 By: Tweets that mention Andy Palmer » The Curious Case of the Missing Present -- Topsy.com https://andypalmer.com/2010/01/the-curious-case-of-the-missing-present/comment-page-1/#comment-1069 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:46:56 +0000 http://andypalmer.com/?p=212#comment-1069 […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Andy Palmer and Tim Ottinger, Johan Aludden. Johan Aludden said: A really thoughtful analogy: RT @AndyPalmer: Don't send that poor disappointed boy away with nothing! http://bit.ly/8g410H […]

]]> By: Andy Palmer https://andypalmer.com/2010/01/the-curious-case-of-the-missing-present/comment-page-1/#comment-1068 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:25:52 +0000 http://andypalmer.com/?p=212#comment-1068 In reply to Straun.

I don't know what the right thing to do is, but I suspect that the number of cases where giving the boy nothing is correct are very, very small. And likewise, I suspect (from experience) that the number of times the boy is (incorrectly, imho) given nothing is very, very high.
Tony Hoare (who invented null in the 1960's) calls it his billion dollar mistake

]]> By: Straun https://andypalmer.com/2010/01/the-curious-case-of-the-missing-present/comment-page-1/#comment-1067 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:19:19 +0000 http://andypalmer.com/?p=212#comment-1067 Is that better than throwing the alarm switch? Or joining one line to check that what he wants is available before joining another to get it?

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