I'm Paul Bissex, and e-scribe.com is my consulting business. I build web applications using open source software, especially Django. In the '90s 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. Feel free to email me.
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.
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.
Akismet, bitbucket, del.icio.us, Django, Emacs, FreeBSD, Git, jQuery, LaunchBar, Markdown, Mercurial, OS X, Postfix, Python, Review Board, S3, SQLite, TextMate, Ubuntu Linux
At least 96060 pieces of comment spam killed since January 2008, mostly via Akismet.
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.
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.
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.
Thanks for reading! Please note: Your comment will not appear until approved, which may take a few hours or more. Spammers will be torpedoed.
Booktools
2 comments
A different kind of URL shortener
4 comments
The syncbox
2 comments
Branching and merging in real life
8 comments
Summer Spam
1 comment
malpaso
Understanding tuples vs. lists in Python
13 days ago
vj100
Understanding tuples vs. lists in Python
13 days ago
scott
Bicycle Repair Man bundle for TextMate
19 days ago
Jasmine
Trying to send eBay a message?
56 days ago
Smok Cigs
Let's play a game: BASIC vs. Ruby vs. Python vs. PHP
93 days ago
Copyright 2012
by Paul Bissex
and E-Scribe New Media
I haven't had the mirror problem, but damn is the rest of that annoying. *fumes*