NKESSLING@TERMINALRTM 17:28:45 · UTC 15:28
NOTE ~/writing
Storage, build systems, queues and on-call. Each note starts with the bug and ends with the test that keeps it fixed.
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- Storage · Build · Queues
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NOTE WRITING · RESEARCH NOTES8 NOTES
Every note, newest first.
Short write-ups of things that broke and how they got fixed. Plain language, real numbers.
Storage
You also have to fsync the directory
Why a new file is not durable until its directory is, and the crash test that proved it.
READ NOTE <GO>30 AUG 2026Build systemsCache keys are inputs, not branch names9 min12 JUL 2026DatabasesFair queues in Postgres, with SKIP LOCKED11 min02 JUN 2026StorageGroup commit, drawn by hand6 min09 MAY 2026ToolingBenchmarks that fail the build8 min21 MAR 2026ToolingThe release notes nobody writes5 min14 FEB 2026ObservabilityDiffing two traces in n log n10 min08 JAN 2026OperationsWhat a boring on-call week looks like6 min
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RATE CLIENTS · ANALYST NOTES6 NOTES
What clients wrote afterwards.
Filed like analyst notes: the rating, the result it was based on, and who wrote it.
CONSENSUS6 OF 6 · HIRE AGAIN0 HOLD · 0 PASS
RATING · HIRE AGAIN0 lost writes since
“Noa found the durability bug we had been blaming on hardware for a year, fixed it, and left us a crash test so it stays fixed.”
RATING · HIRE AGAINCI 18 m → 3 m
“Our CI went from a coffee break to a sip. The sizing guide alone saved us a quarter of platform work.”
RATING · HIRE AGAINHandover in 2 days
“Clear writing, clear pull requests, and no surprises. The handover doc read like a good README.”
RATING · HIRE AGAINp95 41 s → 38 ms
“The fair queue change was eight lines and it ended a year of support tickets about slow emails.”
RATING · HIRE AGAIN−48% code shipped
“Noa asks the question that makes the design smaller. We shipped half the code we planned and it was faster.”
RATING · HIRE AGAIN11 → 1 pages/week
“Pages went from eleven a week to one. The team finally took real holidays.”