/system-notes/event-dashboard

Context: Built as a time-boxed interview assignment to demonstrate backend design, role-based access, and state handling.

Core Design Choices

• Single-node Flask application for simplicity
• Role-based access control implemented at the route level
• Server-rendered pages with minimal frontend JavaScript

Why Polling (instead of WebSockets)

• Reduced operational complexity for a small-scale system
• No requirement for persistent connections
• Easier to reason about state changes during an interview scenario

Why SQLite

• Predictable behavior in a single-process environment
• No external dependencies or setup overhead
• Sufficient for low-concurrency workloads

Trade-offs

• Polling increases request volume
• Not suitable for high-concurrency real-time updates
• Would require migration to PostgreSQL and push-based updates for scale