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January 2025

Probabilistic Increment
This problem here is called a hot row, and it occurs when a specific row in the database is modified frequently by multiple concurrent transactions.
 • 
Teiva Harsanyi
7
Fail Open vs. Fail Closed
When failures strike, does your system prioritize control or availability?
 • 
Teiva Harsanyi
The XY Problem
The XY problem is a common communication pitfall where someone is asking about an attempted solution (Y) instead of the actual problem they’re trying to…
 • 
Teiva Harsanyi
2
Exploring Database Isolation Levels
The higher the isolation level, the more anomalies are prevented—but it comes at a cost.
 • 
Teiva Harsanyi
2
Lateral Thinking
It’s better to generate some ideas, even if some don’t work, than to have no ideas because you’re afraid of being wrong.
 • 
Teiva Harsanyi
4
Latency and User Experience
Sometimes, we can’t make things faster—but we can make them feel faster.
 • 
Teiva Harsanyi

December 2024

Stepping Back to Move Forward
The Coder Cafe is taking a pause to reflect and refine.
 • 
Teiva Harsanyi
Weekly Recap — Unit Tests
A weekly recap of the unit tests theme.
2
Code Coverage
When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.
Avoiding Logic in Tests
A test shouldn't mirror the code logic it’s meant to validate.
2
Test-Driven Development (TDD)
TDD is a personal choice, not a measure of test quality.
4
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