The Error of Our Ways

Explore the complex nature of software failures and their far-reaching implications in this thought-provoking conference talk from GOTO Berlin 2016. Delve into various types of errors, from null pointer exceptions to incorrect deployments, and examine their cascading effects on individuals, businesses, and society. Analyze real-world examples, including the infamous LeftPad incident and Excel spreadsheet errors that impacted economic policies. Investigate the paradox of automation and the unintended consequences of algorithmic decision-making in social media. Gain insights into error handling, unit testing, and the importance of questioning assumptions in software development. Reflect on the philosophical aspects of software reliability and the responsibility programmers bear in an increasingly digital world.

Intro
The Nature of Failure
The NullpointerException
Photos
Cyclic Effect
Money
Time Travel
Incorrect Deployment
The Assumption
The Code
SelfDestruct
Simple Testing
Error Handling
Unit Tests
Maya Mansman
S Programs
P Programs
E Programs
What If
The LeftPad Incident
The 11 Lines of Code
Andersons Law
Dijkstra
Confidence
Software Faults
Charles Babbage
Excel
Steven Levy
Wall Street Journal
Programmatic Scan
Bad Science
Root Mean Square
Excel Error
Reinhart Rogoff
The Danger of Spreadsheets
The Paradox of Automation
Driver Availability
Democracy
People
Facebook
Emotional Contagion
Filter Bubble Effect
Algorithm
Algorithms
The classic effect
Machine rule
Churchill quote