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For real-time updates in response to user actions, which is a bigger concern: average latency, or its variance?

Example: Server generates a sine wave which gets displayed as a rolling chart waveform on the client. As client spins a knob to control the amplitude, the server-generated stream should change (sine wave is a trivial example, representative of more complex server-side computation).

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The real-time updates he's talking about don't require server-side processing - the google homepage switching immediately to the search view for instance - that processing can be contained within the Javascript application, and state is simply maintained against the server (and then by extension across other instances of the application).

I don't imagine he's suggesting we try the same approach where server-side processing is required.

If I have misunderstood you then I apologise.

You're right, and your explanation helped me understand the article better when I read it again. Thanks.

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