A Django Project Story: Part 1: Background and Decision Points

In a personal project initiated during the summer of 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a mechanical engineer with no formal computer science education explored the capabilities of Django to create the "Time Capsule Journal," a web-based rich text editor designed for users to record their thoughts and worries privately. The application allows users to create journal entries that can be marked for public release or associated with specific contacts, who are notified if the user fails to check in within a set time frame, thereby prompting the release of their entries. While the basic functionality of the application is outlined, the project includes additional features such as failsafes to prevent accidental releases, a subscription-based pricing model, and email templates for notifications and reminders. The developer also incorporates Django testing using the "coverage" tool and sets up the project using cookiecutter-django, hinting at a comprehensive exploration of Django's capabilities.