Writing · Nº 041065 essays
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Clear filtersEngineeringHow to Resume Missed Messages After a ReconnectWhen a real-time client reconnects, resume from a cursor and a durable log. Do not reload everything. Learn how to catch up on missed messages precisely.EngineeringWebRTC vs WebSockets: Which Real-Time Transport You NeedWebRTC vs WebSockets comes down to media and peer-to-peer versus server-mediated messaging. Learn which real-time transport fits your app and why most apps want sockets.EngineeringMessage Delivery Guarantees for Real-Time AppsReal-time does not mean reliable. Here is how message delivery guarantees work, why at-least-once matters, and how to choose delivery semantics per message type.EngineeringHow to Build a Live Dashboard Backend That ScalesA live dashboard backend needs coalescing and throttling, not a raw event stream. Learn how to push fresh metrics to many viewers without melting your server.EngineeringHigh-Volume Livestream Chat: Sample the FirehoseA high-volume livestream chat backend can't deliver every message. Learn why sampling, rate control, and room sharding beat lossless delivery when chat is a firehose.EngineeringHow to Secure WebSocket Connections in ProductionWebSocket security fails when you authorize only at connect time. Here is how to secure WebSocket connections with per-message auth, token handling, and rate limits.EngineeringScaling Real-Time Apps Is About Rooms, Not ConnectionsReal-time scaling cost is rooms times fan-out, not raw connection count. Learn why room design, not connection numbers, decides whether your app holds up.EngineeringLive Location Tracking: Throttle the Server, Interpolate the ClientReal-time location tracking and delivery ETAs work by throttling location updates server-side and interpolating on the client. Learn why smooth beats frequent.EngineeringHow to Handle Backpressure From Slow WebSocket ClientsA slow WebSocket client can take down your server. Handle backpressure with buffer limits, coalescing, and disconnect policies before a slow consumer melts memory.EngineeringHow to Evaluate a Real-Time Backend ProviderA checklist for evaluating a real-time backend: presence, delivery guarantees, scaling, auth, and pricing. The questions that separate a real provider from a demo.EngineeringReal-Time Leaderboards Are a Ranking and Throttle ProblemA real-time leaderboard at scale is a ranking plus throttle problem, not a broadcast one. Learn why sorted sets and throttled updates beat pushing every score change.EngineeringOptimistic UI Needs Server ReconciliationOptimistic UI without server reconciliation is a bug generator. Show the change instantly, but always reconcile against the server's authoritative result.