If you're serious about learning web programming, here's a few thoughts before you pick up the Django book and start wading through it: Take a look at the HTTP

If you're serious about learning web programming, here's a few thoughts before you pick up the Django book and start wading through it: Take a look at the HTTP protocol, and learn what it does before you start diving in to web frameworks. You'll understand what's going on inside the framework before you get started. After looking at HTTP, try some basic CGI programming. Just google: Python CGI Tutorial. CGI is a bit archaic, but it helps to understand why frameworks developed, and what they're making easier. Pick up MySQL or PostGress and learn some SQL and databases first. Web frameworks are essentially an "easy" way to develop a GUI for a database. If you don't know what the database is, or what it's doing, you'll be chasing your tail learning a framework first. It's worth mucking around with some *nix and apache. You don't really have to do this first, but you're not going to be able to do too much with your web app, because I don't know of too many companies that serve Django apps off of Windows. It's all Linux or BSD hosting for Django pretty much. That means knowing at least the basics of shell scripting and apache config files.