The solution to "Error handling"...

[Richard (Rikki) Andrew Cattermole]

On 09/07/2026 7:32 PM, Robert Collins wrote:
> I agree with the idea that error handling should be evaluated from the 
> user's perspective rather than focusing only on the programming pattern. 
> Whether you're using exceptions, result types, or error codes, none of 
> them matter if the application leaves users confused when something goes 
> wrong.
> 
> We ran into this while improving one of our own web applications. 
> Instead of only catching exceptions, we started testing common failure 
> scenarios such as invalid input, missing resources, API timeouts, and 
> permission issues. We also separated user-friendly messages from 
> detailed logs, so users received clear guidance while developers still 
> had enough information to troubleshoot the root cause.
> 
> One thing that made a noticeable difference was treating error handling 
> as part of QA rather than something to add at the end of development. 
> Running through failure scenarios before every release exposed several 
> issues that normal testing never caught.
> 
> We documented the approach while working on a completely different 
> project, and some of the lessons also applied to [water damage knoxville].

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

Testers aren't some rando you got off the street.

They have actual qualifications that are internationally recognized for 
their roles. https://istqb.org/

Microsoft also had one, but that got retired (*sigh*).

These qualifications were very well established in industry by the time 
2013 came around when I encountered it during my degree. The expertise 
to test the human side of programs is extremely well understood in the 
literature, but it does get missed as its 'soft' skills.

There is also requirements and design testing in the form of Human 
Computer Interaction scientists. Sadly that doesn't have qualifications 
that are internationally recognized, but many universities do have them. 
I.e. 
https://online.stanford.edu/programs/human-computer-interaction-graduate-certificate