E-Scribe News : a programmer’s blog

About Me

PBX I'm Paul Bissex. I build web applications using open source software, especially Django. Backstory: In the 1990s I did graphic design for newspapers and magazines. Then I wrote technology commentary and reviews for Wired, Salon.com, Chicago Tribune, and lots of little places you've never heard of. Then I taught photographers how to create good websites. I co-wrote a book (see below) along the way. Current story: I am helping turn a giant media corporation into a digital enterprise. Feel free to email me.

Book

I'm co-author of "Python Web Development with Django", an excellent guide to my favorite web framework. Published by Addison-Wesley, it is available from Amazon and your favorite technical bookstore as well.

Colophon

Built using Django, served by Apache and mod_wsgi. The database is SQLite. The operating system is FreeBSD, on a VPS hosted at Johncompanies.com. Comment-spam protection by Akismet. Vintage topo imagery from the Maptech archive. The markup engine is Markdown.

Pile o'Tags

ajax apple blogs browsers business design django ebay fp fun google hardware haskell intellectual property iphone javascript linux media mercurial mobile open source os x oscon oscon2007 palm php programming python rails rants reading risks ruby site spam textmate the well tips tools unix vcs web development web frameworks webservers wmassdevs writing

Stuff I Use

Akismet, bitbucket, del.icio.us, Django, Emacs, FreeBSD, Git, jQuery, LaunchBar, Markdown, Mercurial, OS X, Postfix, Python, Review Board, S3, SQLite, TextMate, Ubuntu Linux

Spam Report

At least 185703 pieces of comment spam killed since January 2008, mostly via Akismet.

A different kind of switching

During the same period that I thought I'd be playing a lot with an old Dell laptop running Ubuntu Linux (but haven't), several notable Apple fans have made, or are seriously and publicly considering making, the jump from OS X to open-source operating systems like Ubuntu.

Mark Pilgrim led the way. (He does work for IBM, though he's gotten remarkably few snide remarks about that in the comments.)

Cory Doctorow is talking like he's about to do it as well. Cory has a Mac tattooed on his bicep, but that might not last either.

Tim Bray also seems ready. Some kind of XML-based conspiracy between him and Mark no doubt.

John Gruber is not switching, but has some thoughtful comments. My favorite:

I'm deeply suspicious of Mac users who claim to be perfectly happy with Mac OS X. Real Mac users, to me, are people with much higher standards, impossibly high standards, and who use Macs not because they're great, but because they suck less than everything else.

Jason Kottke expands on early adopters, canaries, and coal mines.

Tim O'Reilly mulls it over. With graphs.

Friday, July 21st, 2006
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Some related posts: Which PalmOS is really next? • AppleWorks, R.I.P. • Great open source apps for the Mac • Ubuntu, I buntu, we all buntu • PowerBook "Safe Sleep" • Google wants Mac developers • Gruber on AppleScript • Mac troubleshooting tips + bonus rant • PyObjC in, Cocoa-Java out • Palm/Mac sync woes

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