Unknown said:

This is a programming error message, intended for programmers, not for users. The developers should take care of it and I believe it is an exercise in futility following instructions like "reset", "reinstall", "reboot".

I don't agree with you at all... at least not 100%.  Yes, the details in the error stack are intended for developers, but there is often information in the error stack which can be read to see where the likely source of the problem is.  In this case, as I saw a stack for the same problem from another users, the words MyMemory are clearly written throughout the message and this is at least a good indication that the course of action would be to contact the MyMemory team and ask them about the issue.

In addition to that the error messages do have a link to the a couple of resources that can be searched automatically and sometimes this can also be helpful because the solution you get to can be helpful.

It's not always like that and sometimes the message have nothing helpful in there at all, sometimes nothing useful for a developer either.  But checking them is not an exercise in futility.

Certainly I welcome the input from Alison Field who seems to be available to help anyone all the time and her experience means her help is almost always on the nail!

Thank you Ali!

Unknown said:

This is a programming error message, intended for programmers, not for users. The developers should take care of it and I believe it is an exercise in futility following instructions like "reset", "reinstall", "reboot".

I don't agree with you at all... at least not 100%.  Yes, the details in the error stack are intended for developers, but there is often information in the error stack which can be read to see where the likely source of the problem is.  In this case, as I saw a stack for the same problem from another users, the words MyMemory are clearly written throughout the message and this is at least a good indication that the course of action would be to contact the MyMemory team and ask them about the issue.

In addition to that the error messages do have a link to the a couple of resources that can be searched automatically and sometimes this can also be helpful because the solution you get to can be helpful.

It's not always like that and sometimes the message have nothing helpful in there at all, sometimes nothing useful for a developer either.  But checking them is not an exercise in futility.

Certainly I welcome the input from Alison Field who seems to be available to help anyone all the time and her experience means her help is almost always on the nail!

Thank you Ali!

Thank you Paul!

Hi again, Ozzie O

Unknown said:

My contention is twofold: a) a message like “Object reference not set to an instance of an object” is not supposed to show in a commercial software while the end user is using it

Of course it shouldn't, in an ideal world...

Unknown said:

b) this type of error message is addressed to the developers (read, programmers, coders, testers, etc.). It is a bug.

Indeed... well, actually it is indicative of a whole range of possible bugs as StackOverflow say.

Unknown said:

According to the widely known developer community StackOverflow "this is a very common error and can occur because of all kinds of reasons. The root cause really depends on the specific scenario that you've encountered." stackoverflow.com/.../what-does-object-reference-not-set-to-an-instance-of-an-object-mean

and yes again, of course this including all the other points made about this message on StackOverflow's site represent a developer's correct factual analysis of this broadly reaching error message.

Yes, of course the facts you are presenting are, indeed, facts.

However, to post in someone else's thread, without kindly offering them a solution, and say "the end user should not be trying to "fix" it" isn't helpful. This view should be expressed in a developers' arena NOT in a thread where someone has asked for help and some of us are trying to use our experience of the software to solve their problem with it.

The person who posts a thread asking for help is not trying to play at developing, they are trying to work. Their work is as important as anyone else's. It would not help if we replied "Dear User, very sorry but that error is destined to developers only so we can do nothing to help."

Therefore, we may not be - indeed are not always - addressing the base issue, but those of us who DO want to help can't just do nothing if we might be able to solve the symptom EVEN IF we cannot solve the cause.

It would be easier for those of us who do want to help to work our way through the various steps towards (even accidentally) solving an issue, without others objecting to our efforts. Sometimes we succeed.

I respect your viewpoint, Ozzie, and you probably didn't mean your comment to sound critical of me or anyone who tried to help - and it didn't worry me - but I'm just aware that when I was a 'rookie' asking for help, a comment like yours would have put me off asking for help again. 

Have an excellent, productive week!

All the very best,

Ali :D