The author is learning to build websites using Django, a Python web framework, after previously using static site generators and front‑end frameworks.

The author defines custom query set methods such as approved, future, and with_tags to encapsulate common database filters, and demonstrates their use in view code.

Template filters such as urlize, linebreaksbr, date formatting, json_script, and querystring are noted for simplifying HTML generation and manipulating query strings in links.

Automatic database migrations are highlighted; editing a model triggers Django to generate migration files, and 19 migrations have been applied to date.

The author experimented with class‑based view inheritance but found function‑based views more straightforward for code organization.

Performance testing shows the site handling about 2–3 requests per second on a low‑cost VM, rising to roughly 12 requests per second after enabling the cached template loader, indicating that template rendering rather than database queries is the primary bottleneck.

The author may publish additional posts about Django experiences, aiming for shorter writing.