"null != variable" will confuse people is downright silly. People confused by this won't have an inkling of what any non-hello-world program does. I feel this

"null != variable" will confuse people is downright silly. People confused by this won't have an inkling of what any non-hello-world program does. I feel this is one of those things someone new might get confused about the first time they read it. After that, no. IOW, understanding this is part of learning and once it is learned, it is OK.