AppDev BigRedBot

Description

Big Red Bot is an internal tool used by AppDev to boost member productivity and handle various logistical tasks/reminders.

Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

• Node.js v24.13.1 (or compatible version)
• npm (comes with Node.js)
• MongoDB instance (local or remote)
• Slack workspace with bot permissions
• Google Service Account (for Google Sheets integration)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/cuappdev/big-red-bot.git
   cd big-red-bot

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

Configuration

1. Create a .env file in the root directory by copying the .env.template and populating the values.

2. Add your Google Service Account credentials:

   • Place your service_account.json file in the root directory
   • Ensure this file contains your Google API credentials

Running the Application

Development Mode

npm run dev

This runs the application with hot-reloading using nodemon.

Production Mode

npm start

Features

1. Form Completion Reminders

Automatically tracks form completion status via Google Sheets and sends daily Slack reminders to members who haven't completed forms that are due.

• Integrates with Google Sheets to track form completion
• Creates dedicated Slack channels for each form reminder
• Sends automated daily reminders for forms due today

2. Coffee Chat Pairings

Biweekly coffee chat pairings to help team members get to know each other better.

Setup Coffee Chats

1. In any Slack channel where you want to enable coffee chats, run:

   /register-coffee-chats
   

2. The bot will automatically pair members every 2 weeks and send DMs with pairing information.

Slash Commands

• /register-coffee-chats - Enable biweekly coffee chat pairings for the current channel
• /trigger-coffee-chats - Manually trigger coffee chat pairings (useful for testing)
• /disable-coffee-chats - Disable coffee chat pairings for the current channel
• /coffee-chat-status - Check your opt-in/opt-out status for coffee chats
• /reset-coffee-chats - Reset all coffee chat data and start from a fresh slate

How It Works

• Members are randomly paired every 2 weeks
• The algorithm avoids pairing people who were recently matched (within the last 4 weeks)
• Each pairing receives a random activity suggestion (e.g., "grab coffee at a local café", "play a board game", "visit a museum")
• If there's an odd number of members, one group will have 3 people
• All participants receive a DM with their pairing information and activity suggestion
• Pairings are tracked in MongoDB to prevent frequent repeats