A fediverse tip argues web request rates should use Bq (becquerel) instead of Hz, since Hz applies to periodic signals, not random server events.
Key Takeaways
Hz is conventionally reserved for periodic frequencies; web requests are random, non-periodic arrivals.
Becquerel (Bq) is defined as one event per second and is conventionally associated with stochastic processes like radioactive decay.
The tip is a units-hygiene argument: the label you choose signals assumptions about the underlying process to readers of your metrics.
No source code, tooling, or framework change is implied; this is a naming and communication convention.
Hacker News Comment Review
Strongest technical objection: Bq and Hz are dimensionally identical (both = 1/s), so the substitution changes nothing mathematically and offers no correctness improvement.
Choosing Bq implicitly signals a Poisson process assumption (memoryless, independent arrivals), but real web traffic is bursty and typically violates that assumption, making Bq potentially misleading rather than more precise.
No commenter defended the original tip with technical detail; the thread skewed toward skepticism and basic clarification requests.
Notable Comments
@manuel-rhdt: “Becquerel is defined as one decay event per second and is dimensionally identical to Hz” – and flags that the implied Poisson assumption is wrong for bursty traffic.