Mean vs. Median for API Response Times?
Tests your understanding of non-normal distributions like latency. Choose median as it's robust to outliers that skew the mean. Then, state that even median is insufficient; percentiles (p99, max) are crucial for capturing the full user experience.
This tests your understanding that latency data isn't normally distributed and how the mean can be misleading. A strong answer chooses the median, explaining it's robust to extreme outliers that skew the mean, which hides the typical user experience. The best answers then pivot, stating that even the median is insufficient and advocating for percentiles (p95, p99, max) to understand the tail latency that actually impacts users. A major red flag is defending the mean or suggesting that outliers should be discarded without investigation.
Read the original → bravenewgeek.com
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