Ben Naecker

It's worth mentioning that we do have these grand ambitions, I think, Brian, that you alluded to about what is possible. And we've already mentioned this earlier, but we don't want to be constrained by the lowest common denominator. We didn't want the query language that customers would use to explore the data to inform the kind of data we bothered to collect.

It's worth mentioning that we do have these grand ambitions, I think, Brian, that you alluded to about what is possible. And we've already mentioned this earlier, but we don't want to be constrained by the lowest common denominator. We didn't want the query language that customers would use to explore the data to inform the kind of data we bothered to collect.

And then histograms, Ben, as you were saying, I feel like it's an area where we are total zealots. Maybe everyone's a total zealot. I just don't know it. But we feel like real zealots in that regard. Is everyone a zealot?

And then histograms, Ben, as you were saying, I feel like it's an area where we are total zealots. Maybe everyone's a total zealot. I just don't know it. But we feel like real zealots in that regard. Is everyone a zealot?

I'm reminded a little bit about how Cliff accuses us of being really into postmortem debugging. I feel like we are similarly really into histograms, I think just because we've seen their utility in so many domains.

I'm reminded a little bit about how Cliff accuses us of being really into postmortem debugging. I feel like we are similarly really into histograms, I think just because we've seen their utility in so many domains.

I mean, I feel like both of them, everyone should feel this way, and maybe people already do on histograms, but I just feel like, I mean, as Ben's saying with these other query systems, they're not necessarily embracing them as first-class primitive, whereas it was very, I mean, I think, I don't know if this is fair to say, but Brian, a bunch of my thinking on this was informed by the Fishworks system, the ZFS storage appliance and the analytic system that you built there.

I mean, I feel like both of them, everyone should feel this way, and maybe people already do on histograms, but I just feel like, I mean, as Ben's saying with these other query systems, they're not necessarily embracing them as first-class primitive, whereas it was very, I mean, I think, I don't know if this is fair to say, but Brian, a bunch of my thinking on this was informed by the Fishworks system, the ZFS storage appliance and the analytic system that you built there.

Yeah, for sure. Most of it, much of it grounded on histograms, on these distributions to visualize what's going on in the system. I mean, that really strongly informed it here. And we knew we wanted to build a system where that was front and center.

Yeah, for sure. Most of it, much of it grounded on histograms, on these distributions to visualize what's going on in the system. I mean, that really strongly informed it here. And we knew we wanted to build a system where that was front and center.

I mean, I feel like it's only been 10, 15 years since people all recognized that the average was not a number you really wanted to talk about in polite company. But that's fairly recent.

I mean, I feel like it's only been 10, 15 years since people all recognized that the average was not a number you really wanted to talk about in polite company. But that's fairly recent.

I didn't realize that. Do they give you bounds on their hand-waving?

I didn't realize that. Do they give you bounds on their hand-waving?

I just had the most embarrassing realization. I'm like, I don't know why you'd need that. You probably only need it for things like analytics from the web, like clicks. Oh God, I'm horrible.

I just had the most embarrassing realization. I'm like, I don't know why you'd need that. You probably only need it for things like analytics from the web, like clicks. Oh God, I'm horrible.

Those graphs are really fun. What is the package you're using to draw that stuff?

Those graphs are really fun. What is the package you're using to draw that stuff?

Plug your own technology, exactly.

Plug your own technology, exactly.