> Not particularly relevant here, but may I point out that Google's C++ guidelines are generally seen as bad (...)

I don't have a dog in the race, but this is the first time I ever heard anyone express this opinion. Google's C++ guidelines are the first thing that critics cite when complaining about exceptions, and they do so as an example and not as something "bad".

They also have nothing to do with scale, really. That's a puzzling statement. I have no idea what compels you to make that claim.