Open-source alternative to YC-controller HN, featuring curated tech news, discussions, and community-driven content.

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Refetch was born from a simple yet powerful idea: create a modern, open-source alternative to Hacker News that combines the best of community-driven curation with intelligent AI-powered content discovery. Free from YC-control, open and transparent, doesn't favor anyone.

What We're Building

• 🤖 AI-Powered Discovery: Our intelligent scout functions automatically discover high-quality tech content from leading sources so you can be lazy and enjoy
• 🎯 Quality Curation: Advanced algorithms analyze and rank content based on relevance, quality, and community value
• 🌍 Global Reach: Multilingual support with AI-powered translations in 12+ languages
• 🔒 Privacy-First: Built on Appwrite's secure, self-hostable backend infrastructure
• 📱 Modern UX: Modern, responsive interface built with Next.js 15 and Tailwind CSS, the opposite of HN
• 🚀 Open Source: 100% open source, community-driven

Why Refetch?

While Hacker News has been the go-to platform for tech discussions for years, we believe there's room for innovation. Refetch brings:

• Better Content Discovery: AI algorithms that surface the most relevant tech news
• Enhanced User Experience: Modern, mobile-first design that works everywhere
• Community Empowerment: Open source codebase that anyone can contribute to
• Transparent Algorithms: Clear, documented ranking systems you can understand and improve

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🏗️ Architecture Overview

Refetch is built with a modern, scalable architecture that prioritizes performance, maintainability, and developer experience.

Frontend Stack

• Next.js 15: React framework with App Router, Server Components, and streaming
• TypeScript: Full type safety across the entire codebase
• Tailwind CSS: Utility-first CSS framework with custom design system

Backend Infrastructure

• Appwrite: Complete backend-as-a-service platform
  • Databases: Collections for posts, comments, users, and votes
  • Authentication: User management with JWT tokens
  • Functions: Serverless functions for content processing
  • Sites: Next.js hosting with built-in CDN and DDoS protection

AI-Powered Features

• Content Scout: Automatically discovers tech articles from 20+ sources
• Content Enhancement: AI analysis for quality scoring, categorization, and optimization
• Smart Ranking: Multi-factor algorithm considering time, quality, and community engagement
• Multilingual Support: AI-powered translations and language detection

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📁 Project Structure

refetch/
├── app/                    # Next.js App Router pages
│   ├── (main)/            # Main application routes
│   ├── api/               # API endpoints
│   ├── auth/              # Authentication flows
│   └── globals.css        # Global styles
├── components/             # Reusable React components
│   ├── ui/                # Base UI components (Radix + Tailwind)
│   └── [feature]/         # Feature-specific components
├── contexts/               # React contexts (auth, theme)
├── functions/              # Appwrite serverless functions
│   ├── scout/             # Content discovery automation
│   ├── enhancement/       # AI content analysis
│   └── algorithm/         # Ranking algorithm
├── hooks/                  # Custom React hooks
├── lib/                    # Utility libraries and configurations
├── extensions/             # Browser extensions
└── styles/                 # Additional styling

Key Directories Explained

• app/: Next.js 15 App Router with server and client components
• components/ui/: Reusable UI components built on Radix UI primitives
• functions/: Appwrite serverless functions for backend processing
• lib/: Core utilities, Appwrite client, and type definitions
• extensions/: Chrome extension for seamless Refetch integration

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🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• pnpm (recommended) or npm
• Appwrite instance (self-hosted or cloud)

Quick Start

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/refetch-io/refetch.git
   cd refetch

2. Install dependencies

   pnpm install

3. Set up environment variables

   cp env.example .env.local
   # Edit .env.local with your Appwrite credentials

4. Run the development server

   pnpm dev

5. Open your browser Navigate to http://localhost:3000

Environment Configuration

Create a .env.local file with your Appwrite configuration:

# Appwrite Configuration
NEXT_PUBLIC_APPWRITE_ENDPOINT=your_appwrite_endpoint
NEXT_PUBLIC_APPWRITE_PROJECT_ID=your_project_id
NEXT_PUBLIC_APPWRITE_DATABASE_ID=your_database_id

# OpenAI API Key (for AI features)
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key

# Appwrite API Keys
APPWRITE_API_KEY=your_api_key

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🤝 Contributing

Refetch was initially 100% vibe-coded, but we're excited to welcome contributions from humans too!

We believe in the power of community-driven development and welcome all types of contributions:

How to Contribute

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch

   git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature

3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

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🔧 Appwrite Functions

Refetch uses several Appwrite serverless functions for automated content processing:

Scout Function

Automatically discovers high-quality tech content from 20+ sources including TechCrunch, The Verge, Ars Technica, and more.

Enhancement Function

AI-powered content analysis that generates metadata, quality scores, and multilingual translations.

Algorithm Function

Sophisticated ranking algorithm that considers time decay, quality metrics, and community engagement.

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📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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Made with ❤️ for the Refetch community