Writing · Nº 041065 essays
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Clear filtersEngineeringA Real-Time Auction Backend Needs Server Timing and Anti-SnipeA real-time auction bidding backend must own the clock and validate every bid server-side. Learn why server timing, anti-snipe rules, and ordered bids are non-negotiable.EngineeringBuild vs Buy Real-Time InfrastructureShould you build or buy real-time infrastructure for websockets and presence? Here is the honest cost of each and the point where buying clearly wins.EngineeringHow to Design Pub/Sub Channel GranularityChannel granularity is the biggest pub/sub design decision. Too coarse and you leak data and waste bandwidth; too fine and you drown in subscriptions.EngineeringHow Many WebSocket Connections Fit on One Server?Concurrent WebSocket connections per server are bound by memory and fan-out, not CPU. Learn the capacity math to size real-time infrastructure before you scale out.EngineeringReal-Time Backend Mistakes That Break Apps at ScaleThe real-time backend mistakes that look fine in a demo and collapse under load. Here are the failures I see most and how to design around them before launch.EngineeringTyping Indicators and Presence, Done RightTyping indicators and presence are ephemeral signals. Keep them out of your database, drive them with short-lived state, and expire them on the server.EngineeringPush Notifications Don't Need a WebSocketReal-time push notifications rarely need a persistent WebSocket. Learn when native push and fan-out beat holding a socket open, and when a socket actually earns its cost.EngineeringMultiplayer Games Need an Authoritative Server, Not Peer SyncReal-time multiplayer game state needs an authoritative server tick, not peer-to-peer sync. Learn why the server owns truth and clients only predict and reconcile.EngineeringCRDT vs Last-Write-Wins for Real-Time CollaborationCRDT vs last-write-wins is a conflict resolution choice. Start with last-write-wins per field and only reach for CRDTs when you have true concurrent editing.EngineeringHow to Build a Presence System That Feels LiveA presence system tracks who is online in real time. Here is what building presence actually requires, why it is harder than it looks, and how to keep it accurate.EngineeringIoT Dashboards Are an Ingest Problem, Not a Broadcast OneA real-time IoT dashboard is bound by telemetry ingest, not fan-out. Learn why buffering, batching, and downsampling at the edge beats streaming every reading.EngineeringHow Offline Sync Works in Collaborative AppsOffline sync for collaborative apps needs a durable operation log and server reconciliation, not just a cache. Here is how to build sync that survives a dead connection.