Why Are Distributed Systems so Hard?

Distributed systems are known for being notoriously difficult to wrangle. But why? This talk will cover a brief history of distributed computing, clear up some common myths about the CAP theorem, dig into why network partitions are inevitable and close out by highlighting how a few popular consensus algorithms mitigate the risks of operating in a distributed fashion. We'll also take a look at how to design systems that take into account human factors, which can help reduce the impact of programmatic uncertainty.