When programs assume that the system will never change, episode 4: Stealing strings

36 · Raymond Chen · Jan. 15, 2026, 4:38 p.m.
Summary
This blog post discusses the implications of systems that rely on immutability in programming, exploring the concept of 'stealing strings' as an example of an implementation detail that can lead to issues when system states change unexpectedly. The article is part of a series reflecting on software design challenges in the context of program evolution.