Automating the Contributor list

[RichardLitt]

Right now, we use a tool to manually update the CONTRIBUTORS.md file. This process is not automated, which means that every now and then, someone has to manually run it. It would be a lot better if we could automatically update the Contributors file at set time intervals, and if we could ping the people we add to the file, thanking them for their efforts. This could most likely be done most efficiently with a GitHub Probot App.

If anyone wants to help with this, comment here. Both me and @gr2m would be more than happy to advise and guide anyone who wants to take this on. :)

For more on how this system works, see the original PR in #1163.

[lucaslago]

Hey, @RichardLitt would like to help on this if no1 else is already working on it.

[RichardLitt]

@lucaslago Go for it! I'm here if you need help, or on Gitter as @RichardLitt.

[lihail]

Is anyone working on this? If not, I could take a look and try to help.

[lucaslago]

@lihail go for it 👍

[RichardLitt]

@lihail Let me know if you need help!

[lihail]

Thanks, I've started working on this. It doesn't look like too much work, but unfortunately I don't have much time so it will take a few days.

[lihail]

This is the first time I'm creating and using GitHub Probot apps (and GitHub apps generally), so I've created a probot app and a test repo, and installed the app on the repo. I've defined the app to comment on any new issue (just for testing) and it works. If you've got some experience with probot, I'll be glad if you could help me:

1. I've found a probot extension that can trigger events on set intervals. Updating the file every 1 week sounds good?
2. Where should I deploy the app? In probot docs they suggest Glitch, and it looks sufficient for this. What do you think?
3. Continuing the previous question, Glitch can host the code (like a GitHub repo), and you can even edit the code directly from their website. The question is, apart from the deployment of the app: can we rely on Glitch to host the code itself? Or we should add the app's code to the nock repo?

[gr2m]

1. I've found a probot extension that can trigger events on set intervals. Updating the file every 1 week sounds good?

Sounds good

2. Where should I deploy the app? In probot docs they suggest Glitch, and it looks sufficient for this. What do you think?

Yeah we can start with glitch and move to something more reliable later. Glitch is nice because we can just hack around on the live app together without the need for re-deployments.

3. Continuing the previous question, Glitch can host the code (like a GitHub repo), and you can even edit the code directly from their website. The question is, apart from the deployment of the app: can we rely on Glitch to host the code itself? Or we should add the app's code to the nock repo?

We can just put it on Glitch for now. Later I would create a separate repository for it and continuously deploy it to something like now.sh. I have this setup for several of my apps

[RichardLitt]

I would update every month. This isn't related to the code, and every week is a bit noisy.

Oooh, glitch. I still haven't played with that. Would be a cool solution.

[RichardLitt]

@lihail How are you getting on? Need any help?

[lihail]

Unfortunately I haven't been working on this for the last few weeks. I'll probably continue when I have some time, but I don't want to hold up anyone, so if someone else wants to do this in the meantime they can.

[gr2m]

@RichardLitt I would love to give the new All Contributors App a try: https://allcontributors.org/

It’s not exactly what you had in mind initially, but maybe more useful? I don’t think we need to list everyone from the past years. I think we should pick the ones who contributed significantly and then focus on new contributors

[RichardLitt]

Yeah, I think it might be more useful. Let's do it! Want me to set it up?

R

[gr2m]

I got it, I want to collaborate more with the all contributor folks, so this will be a good exercise for me. Thanks :)

[RichardLitt]

I've been working with @Berkmann18 on this. See all-contributors/all-contributors#18 (comment). He's now a maintainer for name-your-contributors, too. :)

[gr2m]

@all-contributors please add @RichardLitt for maintenance

[allcontributors]

@gr2m

I've put up a pull request to add @RichardLitt! 🎉

[paulmelnikow]

Whoa cool!

[Berkmann18]

@paulmelnikow It is and it's on the way to be improved alongside name-your-contributors.

[RichardLitt]

Looks like we can close this?

[gr2m]

I think so 👍