How to? default hash paramater being given as nil

gistfile1.rb

class Something
  def initialize(hash={})
    hash ||= {} # Do not want to do this!
    @my_attribute = hash[:my_attribute]
  end
end

Something.new(nil) # nil param happens with forms occasionally
Something.new({})
Something.new(:my_attribute => 'something')

How to eliminate line 3?

make Hash, an analog of the handy Array

module Kernel
  def Hash(possible_hash); possible_hash || {}; end
end

class Something
  def initialize(hash={})
    @my_attribute = Hash(hash)[:my_attribute]
  end
end

Something.new(nil) # nil param happens with forms occasionally
Something.new({})
Something.new(:my_attribute => 'something')

Or use OpenStruct

class Something
  def initialize(hash={})
    @my_attribute = OpenStruct.new(hash).my_attribute
  end
end

Something.new(nil) # nil param happens with forms occasionally
Something.new({})
Something.new(:my_attribute => 'something')