Summary
This episode makes a compelling case against the use of 'using namespace' directives in C++ code. Jason explains how these directives can create dangerous name conflicts and ambiguities, leading to subtle bugs that can change program behavior without any compiler warnings. He presents evidence from various C++ authorities (including isocpp.org FAQs and Abseil's tips) that advise against global 'using namespace' directives, particularly in header files, and demonstrates practical examples of how they can cause undetectable issues when working with multiple libraries.