I said "more advanced", not "advanced".

If I see that a value can have two or more types then obviously this is "more advanced" (or perhaps better, "more complex") than if it's just one type.

Sometimes this makes things better. Sometimes it doesn't.

Programmers are in the business of understanding well-defined concepts like this, so we will cope.

> Sometimes this makes things better. Sometimes it doesn't.

Exactly, and that's why you want to have both techniques available, and the data modelling is the judicious interplay of both.

If you'll excuse me I'm going to go walk AND chew gum. Or should that be OR :)

Of course it's possible and people can "cope". A lot of things are possible and people can "cope" with a lot of stuff, but that doesn't mean it's good, isn't overly complex in some cases, or is the best solution.

This is just a dismissal instead of an argument, and one that can be applied to almost anything.