We could probably resolve this aspect of the argument by teaching novices that a perfect/great/accurate/otherwise-superlative name(s) is better than almost any comment.
That just means that 'name' is a poor name for the parameter. Have 'first_name, last_name' or 'full_name' or 'names,' for example.
In addition, I think it's a good practice to get into to try and validate parameters at the top of any method. If the values don't fit your use for them, raise an exception.
That strikes me as very Pythonic attitude. If you're going to fail, fail early. But, I know Python way better than Ruby, so it might very well be a Ruby thing too.
