[skohan]

The think that makes this worse than other ecosystems is:

1. virtualenv shouldn't be necessary. This is more or less the same concept as containerization. This is only needed because python has a fractured ecosystem, and setting up your environment for one project can break another.

2. you also have to know which environment encapsulation and package management solution the library author is using - this is not standardized

[zo1]

1. Virtualenv is essentially the same as node_modules, yet everyone rants and raves and loves that. And the kind of breakage you're talking about is astronomically rare in my experience. 2. No you don't - what makes you say that?

[skohan]

virtualenv is so much less user friendly than npm. Like why do I have to run a `source` command to make virtualenv work? I don't use either often, but I can remember how to use npm if I haven't used it in like 6 months, but I have to look up the right commands virtualenv if I haven't used it for like 2 weeks.

[Daishiman]

If you want to run multiple versions of node you're going to need to use some sort of version manager too.