https://github.com/srid/notaskinnerbox

weekly stackoverflow, and many other things (to come)
https://github.com/srid/notaskinnerbox

Last synced: 8 months ago
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weekly stackoverflow, and many other things (to come)

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/srid/notaskinnerbox
• Owner: srid
• Created: 2011-08-21T21:26:44.000Z (almost 15 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2011-09-25T01:53:57.000Z (over 14 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-12-27T01:07:50.576Z (over 1 year ago)
• Language: Clojure
• Homepage:
• Size: 149 KB
• Stars: 4
• Watchers: 2
• Forks: 1
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md

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README

          
# notaskinnerbox

## History & Status

This is my first Clojure project. It was originally meant to be a generic

version of [weekly reddit](http://weeklyreddit.appspot.com/) (which I wrote

using Python and deployed to App Engine) -- the idea is to be sent a weekly

digest of any frequently updating site. Initially, I wanted to do this for

Hacker News and stackoverflow.com.

At its present state, "weekly stackoverflow" is mostly implemented but still not

ready for public use.

Although my enthusiasm for this project began withering away when I first heard

of [StackExchange newsletters](http://stackexchange.com/newsletters/), after

actually *reading* their newsletter for a couple of weeks, I came to realize its

pain points:

* I want RSS, not Inbox spam

* I want to filter questions by specific "tag"

* I may want a monthly, instead of weekly, digest

These are not possible with StackExchange newsletters. Furthermore, I am still

interested in creating a weekly digest for Hacker News. Consequently, my interest

on this project came back to full force.

![Screenshot](http://i.imgur.com/R0jN9.png "Screenshot of the web app showing stackoverflow.com digest")

## Usage

Check out the source: 

    $ git clone https://github.com/srid/notaskinnerbox.git

    $ cd notaskinnerbox

    

Download dependencies: 

    $ lein deps

    

This is a web application and you can run it using:

    $ lein ring server

The default page gives you the top posts at stackoverflow.com since last

week. To view an arbitrary StackExchange site, go to URL /se/; eg:

`/se/skeptics.stackexchange.com`. Further, the URL format optionally accepts a

tagname and the number of days; see `routes.clj` for details.

The app uses Ring, Compojure and Enlive. It can be seemlesly deployed to Heroku

or Stackato.

### Command line:

To retrieve the links directly from the command line:

    $ lein run -m notaskinnerbox.core -t learning -s programmers.stackexchange.com  -n 360

    1) My Dad is impatient with the pace of my learning to program. What do I do?

      http://programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/97785

    2) I still can't figure out how to program?

      http://programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/32425

    [...]

    $

## Developing

The slow way:

    lein appengine-prepare

    dev_appserver.sh war

However, using the REPL allows you to quickly restart the server after file

edits:

    cake swank

    # M-x slime-connect from Emacs

    # Visit deploy.clj and C-c C-k

    # In the REPL:

    user> (deploy/ae-develop)

    Launching server at http://localhost:8080/

Visit . Whenever you edit a file, (eg: `views.clj`),

remember to recompile it in the REPL:

    user> (deploy/ae-develop 'notaskinnerbox.views)

    Launching server at http://localhost:8080/

`ae-develop` is just an utility function that reloads the given namespaces and

relaunches the App Engine dev server.

## Deploying to production

This app can be deployed to Heroku, Stackato or Google App Engine. For App Engine,

    lein appengine-prepare

    appcfg.sh update war

## What's in the name?

Skinner Box refers to the [operant

conditioning](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning) chamber used to

train rats. I likened the conditioning to us humans mindlessly clicking links

(or pressing the lever) to feel a spurt of novelty (or satisfying hunger). "Fast

news", it seems, has conditioned us to seek this behaviour in ever greater

intensity. This concept is widely known as [information

overload](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_overload), but that only

deflects attention (of the addict) away from the psychological behaviour

(addiction).

## TODO

* Cache API requests

* Weekly cron tasks

* Database

* RSS!

* UI to select StackExchange site

* Hacker News

* Reddit?

## License

[Eclipse Public License 1.0](http://opensource.org/licenses/eclipse-1.0.php)