When a system not only
SwallowsExceptions, it also corrupts information (that thing stored in the database), and informs the user that everything went well... until the amount of damage is so big it can not hide it any more and
FailsCatastrophically.
I think this kind of failure typically occurs because of
UnconsciousIncompetence, a developer is in a hurry and thinks "it is not so bad if I swallow this and that, and that other exceptions" after all, it doesn't fail often, I'll have time to fix it later, what is the worse it can happen,
YouArentGonnaNeedToFixThatBug. If the user sees that it is failing, she is going to be angry, but if it
SilentlyFails she will be happy,
WhatYouCantSeeCantHurtYou, don't worry
YouWillHaveTimeLater
I think that to
FailHypocritically is the worse kind of punishment software apply to the user, its effects are like undiagnosed cancer, it grows, and grows, umtil the damage metastasizes and suddenly murders your data
See
SoftwareThatPunishesTheUser
EditHint:
DeleteMe 2008-04-01
Who keeps making all these silly topics that sound like incomplete snippets from a fight they had with a spouse? Somebody has Topic Diarrhea.
Someone is the current
WikiPuppy with the bad case of logorrhoea. Most of them could be deleted without harm, but I certainly don't feel like cleaning up after an excited
WikiPuppy.