# DEV Community

> Online software development community

**Wikidata**: [Q104835605](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104835605)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/dev-community

## Summary
DEV Community is an online software development community and website operating under the domain `dev.to`. It serves as a digital platform for the software engineering industry, allowing users to share knowledge and connect. The entity is also known by the alias "The Practical Dev" and is associated with the organization Forem.

## Key Facts
- **Industry:** Software Engineering
- **Website:** https://dev.to
- **Aliases:** dev.to, DEV, The Practical Dev
- **Domain Name:** dev.to
- **Investor:** Mayfield Fund
- **Crunchbase Organization ID:** forem
- **Google Knowledge Graph ID:** /g/11n60c65rs
- **Social Handle (Twitter/Instagram/LinkedIn/GitHub):** thepracticaldev
- **YouTube Channel:** The Practical Dev (Started Jan 2016)

## FAQs
### Q: What is the official website for DEV Community?
A: The official website is accessible at https://dev.to. The platform functions as an online community for software developers.

### Q: Who invests in DEV Community?
A: According to structured property data, Mayfield Fund is listed as an investor in the entity.

### Q: What social media platforms does DEV Community use?
A: DEV Community maintains a presence on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, GitHub, Medium, Mastodon, and YouTube primarily under the handle "thepracticaldev" or "ThePracticalDev".

### Q: When did DEV Community establish its social media presence?
A: The entity established its Twitter presence in 2014 and its YouTube channel, "The Practical Dev," in January 2016. It joined Mastodon (fosstodon.org) in late 2022.

## Why It Matters
DEV Community serves as a significant digital gathering point within the software engineering industry. By providing a dedicated platform (dev.to) for practitioners, it facilitates the exchange of technical knowledge and professional networking. The community's existence is supported by notable investment firms such as Mayfield Fund and is structurally linked to "Forem," suggesting a broader organizational or technological framework behind the platform. Its consistent growth across major social media platforms—including Twitter, where it amassed over 300,000 followers by early 2023—highlights its relevance and influence among software developers globally. Furthermore, its expansion onto open-source platforms like Mastodon and its substantial GitHub presence underscore its alignment with the values of the modern developer ecosystem.

## Notable For
- **Distinct Branding:** Operates under the unique alias "The Practical Dev" across most major social and professional networks.
- **Cross-Platform Reach:** Maintains a verified digital presence across a wide array of platforms, including a YouTube channel created in 2016 and a Mastodon account established in 2022.
- **Industry Recognition:** Classified specifically within the "software engineering" industry and tracked by major entity databases like Google Knowledge Graph and Crunchbase.
- **External Validation:** Backed by established venture capital, specifically Mayfield Fund.

## Body

### Identity and Classification
DEV Community is formally classified as an online software development community and a website. It is identifiable in global knowledge systems via its Google Knowledge Graph ID (`/g/11n60c65rs`) and its Wikidata description as an "Online software development community." The organization is linked to the entity "Forem" via its Crunchbase organization ID.

### Digital Presence and Social Media
The community maintains a comprehensive digital footprint centered around the domain `dev.to`.
*   **Twitter:** Operating under the handle `thepracticaldev` since 2014, the account accumulated over 300,477 followers by February 4, 2023.
*   **YouTube:** The channel "The Practical Dev" (ID: `UCQjqsJDbo-sLRMKPVOMrvQQ`) was created on January 17, 2016. As of October 8, 2023, it hosted 96 videos with 55,388 views and 2,670 subscribers.
*   **Mastodon:** The entity established a presence on the Fediverse at `thepracticaldev@fosstodon.org` starting December 28, 2022. By April 11, 2024, this account had 6,745 followers.
*   **Developer Platforms:** The organization is active on GitHub (`thepracticaldev`) and Medium (`ThePracticalDev`), reinforcing its focus on the technical community.

### Corporate and Financial Data
The platform operates within the software engineering industry. Structured data indicates that **Mayfield Fund** is an investor. The entity's organization ID on Crunchbase is listed as `forem`.

### Timeline of Key Metrics
*   **2014:** Establishment of Twitter account (`thepracticaldev`).
*   **2016 (Jan 17):** Creation of the YouTube channel.
*   **2021 (Feb 5):** Twitter followers reached 223,353.
*   **2022 (Jan 27):** Twitter followers reached 269,158.
*   **2022 (Dec 28):** Establishment of Mastodon presence.
*   **2023 (Feb 4):** Twitter followers reached 300,477.

## References

1. [Source](https://dev.to/)
2. YouTube API
3. [Internet Domains Wikibase](https://domains.wikibase.cloud/entity/Q197765)