Why the Django Community Sucks

A Talk presented by Justin Myles Holmes
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Audience level

Intermediate

Category

Community

Time

September 5th, 2:20 p.m. – 3 p.m.


Description

Continuing in the tradition of self-deprecation that has made DjangoCon famous, a relative newcomer will outline what the Django community can learn from the world of social activism.


Abstract

In 2010, Eric Florenzano ignited a fever following his lightfooted and lighthearted placement of a mirror in front of the hardest of the hardcore in the django community with his presentation, “Why Django Sucks, and How We can Fix It.” Then, a year later, at DjangCon 2011, Steve Holden grasped the self-critique baton with an even steeper challenge, making a claim that he described as “the most outrageous thing you can say” - that the Django documentation sucked.

The Django documentation, already widely considered the best in its class, has responded to the critique and continues to improve daily.

Also widely viewed as a top strength of Django is its community. While Django enjoys one of the most thoughtful, patient, and responsive communities in the world of open source web frameworks, it has a special opportunity for learning in Washington, D.C., where many of the most successful and voracious non-profit advocacy organizations call home.

This presentation will examine some of their tactics and compare them with those employed by the Django community. Among the topics covered will be mobilization of new troops, building and listening to diverse coalitions, and identifying and reaching out to under-represented populations.

The presenter comes from a decade of experience in non-profit social justice activism. Having been a Django user for 3.5 years and involved in the community for 2, will be at only his second DjangoCon.. Freshly imported, he has the perspective of a passionate newcomer rather a seasoned veteran.