I really did have some hope for being able to use some of the DB-like tools and integrations with Django, and even started work on using the graphics library to write an SVG converter to display on all browsers. What a dead end all that turned out to be. Libraries like lawnchair, history, and kinetic or some other canvas library just seem to run circles around the larger libs for whatever it is that the focused libs do.

I really like larger web frameworks like Django because a lot of what those frameworks provide is only won at a high-cost to the programmer if not done as part of the architecture. Going more micro means more work in those cases. Going more macro with JS when 99% of pages need a contact form is not making me feel empowered.

JS libraries are to me like single-celled organisms. Sure they spring up and die a lot, but out of all that change and natural pressure to remain small and decoupled, it's not necessary to tie one's future to any one of them if they act up. Dojo 1.8ish made me greatly loathe not being able to swap out that one misbehaving part because of commitment to the larger scheme.

I take your point. Dojo has tried to do a lot of things, and some of those have not panned out as well as the other parts.

I am getting your point. I would prefer if dojo lowered the marketing on the rich set of existing widgets, as very few people will every use dijit/Button over native button.

But dojo's object store/MVC, dojo's widget system itself, the build system/AMD, they have proven themselves over a period of time.

Don't use dijit widgets, but do create widgets using dijit/_WidgetBase is my recommendation to everyone learning dojo. And none of the grids, and layouts and SVG etc etc. They inclusion in dojo code base is one of the reasons so many developers get put off by dojo.