FrontendHaltNetworking·Intermediate·Conceptual·1 min read
What is a common failure mode of polling as a substitute for push?
Short interview answer
Polling wastes requests when nothing has changed and introduces latency up to the poll interval when something has. It also scales poorly since load grows with the number of clients regardless of actual update frequency.
Key takeaway
Explain the underlying mental model clearly, then support it with a concrete example and its trade-offs.