Django turned 20!

The Django web framework turned 20 on 13 July. I have used many technologies in my career of almost 35 years as a software developer, but none had the same impact as Django. And none has lasted as long. I am known for using the latest technology and jumping on and off the bandwagon, but this web framework has stayed by my side since 2007. The only technology I have used for a longer period is Python.

In 2007, I was searching for a web framework for a project I was planning to start early in 2008. At the time, I was using CherryPy in most projects. However, Django piqued my interest when I learnt it was built by a team at a newspaper. I worked for a newspaper at the time as well, and I had the task of building a web-based system for planning news topics, editing content, and publishing to various output channels.

The start was rough. Django felt so different from what I had used before. It took me six months, three personal projects, and two small products for my employer before I felt confident enough to start the big project. It also caused some internal conflict because we were a Java company back then. Django and I won.

In February 2008, I started developing what was called red.web-Crossmedia at the time. After several name changes and a company merger, it is now known as EditorialOrganiser. The first release was in September 2008 and went into production a month later. Today, it is the flagship product in the field of editorial systems my employer offers.

Django has helped us maintain a product for 17 years now — and it has never let us down. Thank you to the team and the community.