Keeping a Small Server Understandable
The most useful property of a small server is not cleverness. It is the ability to explain its current state in a few minutes.
Systems
Latency Is a Shape, Not a Number
A single timing result is tidy, persuasive, and usually incomplete. Useful measurements describe a distribution and the conditions around it.
The Case for Boring Defaults
A boring default is not an old choice. It is a choice with well-understood consequences and an easy escape route.