Onboarding Link Generator

A command line tool to create personalized patchwork invite pages for your friends!

Background

Within this repository is a tool you can run on your own computer to quickly whip up personalized patchwork onboarding pages for your friends. These pages include GIFs for how to download and use patchwork, a pub invite key with instructions on what to do with it, and some channels that you recommend they check out.

The tool generates a styled HTML page, that you can then host on your own website. If you don't have a website, we provide a tutorial at the end of this on how to quickly spin one up, using beaker browser and hashbase.!

Our intention with generating a page, but not hosting it, is to give you more power with the invites you send out. Not only can you make the pages on your own time, and not require anyone's approval, but you can also further customize the page as you see fit. If you don't like the greeting I use at the start of the site, go ahead and change it! If you want to change how the page looks completely, you can do that too(with a few limitations). There's a tutorial on how to do this at the bottom of the page too.

Scuttlebutt values personal autonomy and subjectivity, the delight of multiple voices describing the same thing in their own unique ways. This onboarding genaterator is my attempt to honor these values through even the smallest tools.

Also, if I'm being honest (and I AM), I wanted to use this generator as a way to introduce you to some other cool tools like git, python, the beaker browser, and hashbase. All of them are powerful, but could be overwhelming without some reason to use them. The onboarding tool can be that reason, it's the code equivalent of playing "Heart and Soul" on the piano, so you can learn how pleasant the piano keys and melody feel.

Summary of Use

I'll offer quick instructions, and detailed instructions. Dont' worry if the quick instructions don't make sense (yet), I'll explain each part after.

Quick barebones instructions for the solarpunk in a rush!

1. clone and enter the onboarding-link-generator repo

2. request an invite key from a pub that you follow, or generate one yourself (if you're a pub owner)

3. From within the OLG repo, invoke the generator with python3 helper.py

4. Answer all the questions it gives you.

5. When the questions are done, a new folder will be made for you. Move it to your website, then give that link to your friend!

Details for the easygoing solarpunk

The onboarding link generator lets you create a static page for each of the friends you want to invite. This page includes steps on installing patchwork, the pub you would like them to join, an invite code for this pub, and other good details for them to confidently join the 'verse.

Each page follows a set and styled template, which includes handy GIFS for each of the major steps, and so you do not need to style the page, just personalize it.

You create these pages by invoking the generator within the command line, and answering the questions it presents. When you move through the whole process, a new directory is made on your computer, named after your friend. This directory includes two files, an index.html file and a stylesheet.css file. Both are already filled out, and so you simply move this folder to where you host your site, and now have a handy link to give your friend: mysite.com/friends-name/

Insider Tip: At the bottom of this repo  is a link to a video showing how to use the tool and host a site on
hashbase

Screen Shots

The Command Line Tooli ! the command line tool

The Generated Invite Page

Usage

The Tool Requires Python 3

Clone this Repo to your Computer

git clone ssb://%XpYR3HjkbEL40CQhuGpgZ5P55zGJ1p9aI1L1A3jfVag=.sha256 onboarding-link-generator

Navigate to the repo's directory

cd onboarding-link-generator

There are two important areas within this directory: onboarding-tool.py and invites/. You'll invoke the generation through onboarding-tool.py and your finished site will live within the invites/ subdirectory.

Invoke the Generator

python3 onboarding-tool.py

Run through the Questions
These are pretty straightforward. You will want to make sure you invite them to a pub you are following, and invite them with an active pub invite link. This can be given to you by the pub owner (which may be you!) through whichever process they prefer. For the final channels, you can write the channel plus a description of it, if you wanna get fancy.

Find, then move, your new site
When the tool is done you'll have a new directory within invites called 'friends-name'. This has the index.html file and the stylesheet. Simply move this entire directory to wherever you host your site. Below is a link to a video showing how to do this using hashbase.

Save Time in the Future with the 'contact-info.ini' file
In the root directory of the repo is a file called 'contact-info.ini'. This has three sections you can fill out with your own details. Then, these details are automatically filled out in the questions. It's useful so you don't have to type in yr pub key each time. Fill in each one with whatever you like (or leave it blank if you wanna type it anew each time) but please don't remove any of the contacts.

How to Easily Host Invite Pages on Hashbase: A Video!