I've long observed that there's actual real-time and there's marketroid real-time. Actual real-time has hard, typically small (milliseconds or smaller) timing w

I've long observed that there's actual real-time and there's marketroid real-time. Actual real-time has hard, typically small (milliseconds or smaller) timing windows that must be hit. Marketroid real-time generally means "faster and more responsive than previous batch-based processes" and can mean a response within seconds or a response within days. When marketroids come up to you talking about real-time this or real-time that, it's best to not quibble about definitions. They live in their bubble and consider it rude to disturb them with technical realities.