Re: Django community, is it active?

[Nikolas Stevenson-Molnar]

I expect that most of the people on this list have chosen Django for
their project(s), which would probably make our view a little skewed ;)

That said, the thread you reference is basically a framework religion
war. You may have noticed: there are extremely negative comments about
every framework on that post.

Personally, I give Django a definite "yes". It sees active development
(and with useful improvements!), great documentation, tons of 3rd party
libraries, a helpful community, and is proven on a number of
high-profile projects (maybe you've heard of Instagram?)

_Nik

On 12/18/2012 1:36 PM, sparky wrote:
> I'm hoping this is the right place to ask such questions, please
> forgive me if not.
>
> I'm making a real time investment in learning another server side
> language. I have 10 years ColdFusion, 5 years PHP, JAVA. Having never
> touched Python let alone the framework Django, for the past 4 weeks I
> have been testing Django out. Darn, Raspberry Pi started me with my
> blog (http://www.glynjackson.org/blog/) I have to say its nice,
> however my concerns are now to do with the community and not so much
> with the framework itself.
>
> No one likes to back a loser and every time I search for Django
> community I'm faced with a host of negative posts. for example:
> http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2777883
>
> Unlike other languages I'm active in and still use, I'm also finding
> it hard to find any user groups locally in the UK (I'm based in
> Manchester, UK).
>
> So from the community itself how alive is Django? Should I really
> invest the time to learn? Does it have a real future and please be honest.
>
> other questions....
>
> 1) is this worth going? --- http://2013.djangocon.eu
> 2) who are the top blogs people within the Django community who should
> I be following, blogs feed etc.
>
> Sorry for the stupid questions, but and just want a new skillset that
> I can use for many years to come. Django is really cool
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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[sparky]

thanks Nik,

[Cal Leeming [Simplicity Media Ltd]]

Hi Sparky,

I've personally been using Django for approximately 3 years now - so I'll offer you my own opinion.

In some ways, it is the most beautiful/perfect framework currently available.. and in other ways, it leaves a sense of disappointment and frustration.

* Community - possibly one of the best/most helpful I've seen so far. Don't drink the free bear though, try and help out where you can!

* Core devs - although sometimes they can seem a bit uppity, they /usually/ know what their talking about and make good decisions

* django-admin - beautiful if you want a simple staff only admin interface for your data.. terrible if you want to make custom modifications

* Models - the main reason I love Django so much. The models 'just work', and the query API is lovely. Still room for improvement, but so much better than sqlalchemy

* Views - class based views are great, but I personally feel that the pre-made TemplateView/ListView is atrocious. I always use a generic View and build my own structure.

* Middleware and DB routers - really handy, and again it just works

* Probably tons of other little things that I forgot

There is of course some overhead and a somewhat steep learning curve (depending on your background) in getting a base project configured, but don't let this put you off.

Working with a framework is like any relationship... you make sacrifices.. the love you get back depends on what you put in.. and it's not just about the end goal, it's about how you got there.

Cal

thanks Nik,

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[donarb]

On Tuesday, December 18, 2012 1:36:42 PM UTC-8, sparky wrote:

... I'm also finding it hard to find any user groups locally in the UK (I'm based in Manchester, UK).

 

Sometimes Django does not have enough of a user base in an area for its own group, you might want to check out the local Python group, some Djangonauts may be attending. 

Here's the page for the Manchester Python group, which just happens to be meeting this Thursday:

http://madlab.org.uk/content/north-west-python-user-group-27/

 

[Chris Cogdon]

But I _want_ to drink the free bear.

On Tuesday, December 18, 2012 3:19:59 PM UTC-8, Cal Leeming [Simplicity Media Ltd] wrote:

.... Don't drink the free bear though, ...

[Glyn Jackson]

@Cal Leeming

some really useful information and very honest. I'm loving using Django!

[Cal Leeming [Simplicity Media Ltd]]

Sorry, slightly misworded!

Don't /just/ drink the free bear, help out as well.

Cal

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[Tom Christie]

> Is this worth going? --- http://2013.djangocon.eu

Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.  I've been to two DjangoCons, both have been incredible, and have reaffirmed how proud I am to work in this industry, and to be a part of this community.

> Who are the top blogs people within the Django community who should I be following, blogs feed etc.

http://www.planetdjango.org/ is an aggregated news feed for Django posts.

Some folks who write regularly...

Daniel Greenfeld (aka pydanny) - http://pydanny.com/

Reinout van Rees - http://reinout.vanrees.org/weblog/

Nick Coghlan - http://www.boredomandlaziness.org/

If you haven't already I'd recommend getting yourself tapped into twitter and follow some of the core devs and other python/django folks.

Also, a tip - I'd stay well away from the free bear.

Might look cute at first, but man, those things can get vicious.

The free beer however, does come recommended.

Cheers,

  Tom

[peter]

Yeah man, we are alive. :).

You wanna be part of us. Don't be afraid, just take a seat, to share, implement, etc, etc.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/django-users/-/pVVzxQCEmdwJ.

[Cal Leeming [Simplicity Media Ltd]]

LOL omg, I just realised I was spelling beer wrong.

Cal

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/django-users/-/pVVzxQCEmdwJ.

[Timothy Makobu]

This link is quite telling of what the Python community in general thinks of Django

http://www.python.org/3kpoll

[Nikolas Stevenson-Molnar]

I think the bears should be free to drink the beer ;)

_Nik

[Bill Freeman]

Particularly if it mellows them.

Bill

[Odagi]

In the last 24 hs 10 tickets have been modified in the Django Track system:

https://code.djangoproject.com/query?status=assigned&status=new&status=reopened&desc=1&order=changetime

and 10 people have replied your email. IMHO, that's an active community for me.

[Glyn Jackson]

@Odagi

point well made. thanks for everyone for being so welcoming :0 I spent today building my first Django local site,
ended up with 4 apps. taken me awhile to get my head around things i ended up with....

registration
  - handles my user signed
security
 - login, logout
web
 - flat pages etc
- rewards
 - a simple api link to an existing platform in java

given this was my first time really playing with the framework, well it conforms to what i'm use to in java and ColdFusion,
views are almost the same as CF MVC. at some point i will do a write up on my blog http://www.glynjackson.org/blog/ (plug, plug)

so i have some of the basic stuff down with models and views, I'm sure i will have lost of stupid questions in the coming months.

I go to some cons so why not add another one to my list (my wife will kill me)!!!


again thanks :)

[galgal]

You should also look here: https://plus.google.com/communities/108940692418100611427

[peter]

On 12/19/2012 07:09 PM, Glyn Jackson wrote:

@Odagi

point well made. thanks for everyone for being so welcoming :0 I spent today building my first Django local site,
ended up with 4 apps. taken me awhile to get my head around things i ended up with....

registration
  - handles my user signed
security
 - login, logout
web
 - flat pages etc
- rewards
 - a simple api link to an existing platform in java

given this was my first time really playing with the framework, well it conforms to what i'm use to in java and ColdFusion,
views are almost the same as CF MVC. at some point i will do a write up on my blog http://www.glynjackson.org/blog/ (plug, plug)

so i have some of the basic stuff down with models and views, I'm sure i will have lost of stupid questions in the coming months.

I go to some cons so why not add another one to my list (my wife will kill me)!!!


again thanks :)

I'm pretty glad, that you found django helpful for you.

There is no stupid questions. There are only stupid answers

On Tuesday, December 18, 2012 9:36:42 PM UTC, Glyn Jackson wrote:

I'm hoping this is the right place to ask such questions, please forgive me if not.

I'm making a real time investment in learning another server side language. I have 10 years ColdFusion, 5 years  PHP, JAVA. Having never touched Python let alone the framework Django, for the past 4 weeks I have been testing Django out. Darn, Raspberry Pi started me with my blog (http://www.glynjackson.org/blog/) I have to say its nice, however my concerns are now to do with the community and not so much with the framework itself.

No one likes to back a loser and every time I search for Django community I'm faced with a host of negative posts. for example:
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2777883 

Unlike other languages I'm active in and still use, I'm also finding it hard to find any user groups locally in the UK (I'm based in Manchester, UK).

So from the community itself how alive is Django? Should I really invest the time to learn? Does it have a real future and please be honest.

other questions....

1) is this worth going? --- http://2013.djangocon.eu
2) who are the top blogs people within the Django community who should I be following, blogs feed etc.

Sorry for the stupid questions, but and just want a new skillset that I can use for many years to come. Django is really cool

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[djangobie]

Great question, and welcome to the group.

I found quite few helpful posts here. and as per stats there are around 1k+ new posts every month.

Me too, looking forward to some good blogs.

-http://lincolnloop.com/blog/categories/django/ (Technical articles)

-http://jacobian.org/writing/ (General to Technical)

And for your " Does it have a real future and please be honest." some latest stats : http://jacobian.org/writing/django-community/django-community-2012/

[patrick]

Two good resources off the top of my head (among many others that will probably be mentioned):

Buddy Lindsey's GoDjango screencasts, they cover some good ground: http://godjango.com

Also like Kenneth Love and Chris Jones' articles at  http://brack3t.com

[Sithembewena Lloyd Dube]

"Working with a framework is like any relationship... you make sacrifices.. the love you get back depends on what you put in.." - hehe ... moving on swiftly ...

Vis. the bears, I can only recommend bear spray, or a dictionary - dependent on one's particular circumstances.

To address the queries at hand - coming from several languages and platforms, I was asking the same questions a few years ago. I evaluated other popular MVC frameworks and stuck with Django. Not a regret had to date.

- Django "just works" for a large share of "general" uses. The admin app is a boon for those not too keen on reinventing the wheel when it comes to "must-have" admin site functionality
- Django documentation is the amongst the best of any framework docs I have had to consult. It is updated frequently and is never lagging too far back from the current framework release. I will refrain from mentioning the names of certain alternatives in this regard
- the Django community is sizeable and very active
- Django plays well on an array of development platforms. Linux, Windows, Mac? Behaviour is consistent. This would be attributable in no small part to Python's own cross-platform usability.
- Python. I do appreciate that the right tool must be used for each job, but I am also still waiting to see that tool which would outdo Python in most problem domains, at least relating to developer productivity.

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Regards,
Sithu Lloyd Dube

[Sithembewena Lloyd Dube]

"Working with a framework is like any relationship... you make sacrifices.. the love you get back depends on what you put in.." - hehe ... moving on swiftly ...

Vis. the bears, I can only recommend bear spray - and a good one, at that.

To address the queries at hand - coming from several languages and platforms, I was asking the same questions a few years ago. I evaluated other popular MVC frameworks and stuck with Django. Not a regret had to date.

- Django "just works" for a large share of "general" uses. The admin app is a boon for those not too keen on reinventing the wheel when it comes to "must-have" admin site functionality
- Django documentation is the amongst the best of any framework docs I have had to consult. It is updated frequently and is never lagging too far back from the current framework release. I will refrain from mentioning the names of certain alternatives in this regard
- the Django community is sizeable and very active
- Django plays well on an array of development platforms. Linux, Windows, Mac? Behaviour is consistent. This would be attributable in no small part to Python's own cross-platform usability.
- Python. I do appreciate that the right tool must be used for each job, but I am also still waiting to see that tool which would outdo Python in most problem domains, at least relating to developer productivity.

On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 4:34 PM, patrick <pat...@healtheconomics.org> wrote:

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[Lachlan Musicman]

On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 10:14 PM, peter <pjma...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> There is no stupid questions. There are only stupid answers

Hi, welcome to the Django community. Stupid answers is my role, I'm
the stupid answers coordinator for the Django email list project.

Nice to meet you!
L.