About Me

PBX My name is Paul Bissex, and e-scribe.com is my consulting business. I build web applications using as much open source software as possible. From September to June I teach web design and other important non-photographic professional skills to photographers. In the '90s I wrote technology commentary and reviews for magazines, newspapers, and web publications, including Wired, Salon.com, FamilyPC, the late lamented Web Review, and the Chicago Tribune. Feel free to email me.

Book Project

I'm co-authoring a book, "Python Web Development with Django", with Jeff Forcier and Wesley Chun. It will be published by Prentice Hall in July 2008, but is available for pre-ordering on Amazon now.

Colophon

This site is built on a fresh trunk checkout of Django, running on Python 2.5.1, served by Apache and mod_python. 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.

Pile o'Tags

Stuff I Use

Akismet, del.icio.us, Django, dpaste.com, Emacs, FreeBSD, Freenode, jQuery, LaunchBar, MacPorts, Markdown, Mercurial, OS X, Postfix, Python, SQLite, Subversion, TextMate, Trac, Ubuntu Linux, wmii

(Finally!)

SourceForge needs help

Despite their adoption of Big Green Download Button technology, SourceForge still has an absurdly cumbersome download process. I know it's annoying to just gripe (I try to see the positive side too); I'm just surprised that it's still this crufty. According to the OSTG site, "SourceForge.net hosts more Open Source development products than any other site or network worldwide." But if the pace of modernization doesn't pick up, I'm afraid that won't be true for much longer.

Here's the process I went through to download a 22K zipped application. (Approximate total weight of these pages, not counting the downloaded file: 600K.)

I arrive at the application's project page. Cool, a big green download button! I'll click it.

OK, nothing's downloading, I'm on some other page. But look, there's another green download button! I'll click that.

Hm, a list of files. Well, I want the zip archive. There's nothing green. I'll just click on the filename.

Cool, it remembered my preferred mirror and is downloading! At least I think it is. The page seems to be refreshing every few seconds. Hm, I see the word "failed" in the URL up there. I wonder if that means the download isn't working. Here, let me change my preferred mirror. Scroll down, find a different mirror, click the radio button -- oops, the page refreshed on me! OK, try again, pick a mirror, update... I'm sure I'll have this soon. You guys can go to lunch without me, I'll meet you there.

Wednesday, September 13th, 2006
open source + rants + sourceforge + web development
3 comments

Some related posts: STFU • QuickTime 0, Open Source 1 • Linux will eat itself • Web Inspector, a DOM inspector for WebKit • SourceForge prettifying • Taxonomy of Bubble 2.0 • Sourcemorgue

• Comment from Jessica, 1 week later

I haven't had the mirror problem, but damn is the rest of that annoying. fumes

• Comment from Gamelexi, 1 week later

I asked myself often why there is such a long and confusing way to get the files. Is it because you are generating advertising impressions on the way to get the file? I am not sure, but probably it is the answer for it.

• Comment from Darrin, 6 weeks later

gamelexi

it's been that way ever since i can remember going back 6+ yrs before they had all those ads.

it's a process bourne of developers and the like wanting not only the current version of an app but previous versions for whatever reason. it's kludgy to be sure, but sf.nets goals are (were?) far different than the bulk of large internet sites.

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