# Chicago ATProto Meetup Activities

Quick hands-on activities to get started with the AT Protocol and Bluesky API.

## Setup (5 minutes)

1. **Create a Bluesky account** at https://bsky.app
2. **Generate an app password**: Settings → App Passwords → Add
3. **Install Bun** (if needed): `curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash`
4. **Clone this repo** and install dependencies:
   ```bash
   git clone <this-repo>
   cd atproto-meetup
   bun install
   ```
5. **Create `.env` file** with your credentials:
   ```
   BSKY_USERNAME=your-handle.bsky.social
   BSKY_PASSWORD=xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx
   ```

## Activities

### Activity 1a: Hello World (5 minutes)
```bash
bun activities/01a-hello-world.js
```
Posts a simple message to Bluesky.

### Activity 1b: Emoji Art Generator (10 minutes)
```bash
bun activities/01b-emoji-art.js
```
Creates a random emoji art grid and posts it.

### Activity 2: Rich Text with Links & Hashtags (10 minutes)
```bash
bun activities/02-rich-text.js
```
Demonstrates auto-detection of links and hashtags in posts.

### Activity 3: Real-time Firehose with Jetstream (15 minutes)
```bash
bun activities/03-feed-generator.js
```
Connect to Bluesky's Jetstream service to see real-time posts with #ATProtoChicago. Uses simple JSON instead of complex binary formats!

### Activity 4: Local Post Filter (15 minutes)
```bash
bun activities/05-post-filter.js
```
Build a local feed algorithm that filters your timeline for Chicago/ATProto posts.

### Activity 5: Profile Updater (10 minutes)
```bash
bun activities/04-profile-updater.js
```
Updates your profile description with a timestamp.

## Starter Template

Use `starter-template.js` to build your own ideas:
```bash
bun starter-template.js
```

## Tips

- All scripts use Bun's built-in TypeScript support
- The AT Protocol API docs: https://atproto.com
- View your posts at: https://bsky.app/profile/YOUR-HANDLE
- Use `#ATProtoChicago` to find other meetup participants!

## Common Issues

- **"Invalid identifier or password"**: Make sure you're using an app password, not your main password
- **Rate limits**: The API has rate limits, wait a minute if you hit them
- **Module not found**: Run the scripts from the repo root directory
- **WebSocket errors**: The firehose can be flaky, just restart if it disconnects

## What's Next?

- Build a full feed generator: https://github.com/bluesky-social/feed-generator
- Explore the AT Protocol specs: https://atproto.com/specs
- Join the Bluesky developer community: https://github.com/bluesky-social/atproto/discussions