null references redux + Looney Tunes

[Andrei Alexandrescu]

language_fan wrote:
> Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:30:24 -0400, Jarrett Billingsley thusly wrote:
> 
>> I always think it's funny when people are like "so, I had this idea,
>> lemme throw this out there. I know it sounds weird, but just bear with
>> me - what if there were _no null_? Did I just _blow your mind?_"
>>
>> And the perspective of languages with **better type systems**, it's 
> like..
> 
> *plonk* :-P (old-timers might know)
> 
>> The whole null/nonnull debate is a complete nonissue in languages like
>> Haskell because _they actually treat it formally and correctly_. And
>> they've _been_ doing this for years. For all the Java-ites to be like
>> "OMG PARADIGM SHIFT" it's just funny.
> 
> You know, mainstream is pretty much religion driven.. many might have 
> already plonked you automatically because your postings have contained 
> the words 'disagree', 'progress', 'haskell', or 'scala'. The performance 
> focused people from the c++ land seem to have a strong conservative view 
> towards new things - like it or not. Walter being mostly a C++ guy and 
> not having written much code in any other language (including D!) only 
> makes the situation a bit worse, if you prefer progress.

I'll note two things. For one, Walter is a heck more progressive than 
his pedigree might lead one to think. He has taken quite some risks with 
a number of features that made definite steps outside the mainstream, 
and I feel he bet on the right horse more often than not. Second, this 
particular discussion is not about efficiency.

Andrei