Note that his examples are in VBScript (a language which is as obsolete as BCPL). This might also explain his aversion towards exceptions.

Joel is a great writer and have many great points (also in this article), but understand that his coding advice is from a different era.

Which would be basically everyone who didn't learn to write software on Windows.

If you have a reasonable type system and language, leverage it to enforce semantics that Spolsky suggests you use Hungarian notation to imply by convention.

You'll be much less likely to be castigated by the individual who has to maintain your code after you. Microsoft has put Hungarian notation to rest, nobody else o speak of uses it, and you shouldn't either.

Also, if you're working at Fog Creek, the guy who has to maintain your code after you will also be using Hungarian.

Hungarian notiation (of any variety) started (and ended) at Microsoft.

Also, if you're working at Fog Creek, the guy who has to maintain your code after you will also be using Hungarian.

If you're working at Fog Creek you're writing code in a custom in-house programming language as well as using Hungarian notation. I don't think the example is generally useful or applicable to anyone else.