From Hack to Glory: The Migration of the Web Monetization Tools

Hello everyone,

The Migration of the Web monetization tools project won the Web Monetization theme at the recent Interledger Summit 2023 hackathon. Let's dive into the story and explore the impact this journey has had. 🕵️‍♂️

What the Hack Was About

Over the past year, the Web monetization spec has evolved significantly. Unfortunately, the tools designed to work with them haven't kept up, becoming outdated and unusable. That's where this project comes in – it's all about giving these retired tools a new lease on life.

If you take a look at the libraries list on the Webmonetization Docs, sadly, you will notice that the libraries do not have the support for the latest Web monetization spec yet. 😟

This project focused on revitalizing these outdated web monetization libraries, bringing them in line with the updated spec. The goal was to upgrade some of these retired tools and make them relevant again. I started with two components, namely the Hugo Web Monetization Component, and Monetize 11ty. They were crafted to empower web creators, simplifying the process of monetizing websites and content built with Hugo and 11ty frameworks.

Moreover, since all the documentation websites at Interledger were built using Astro, I took the initiative to develop a new Web monetization plugin specifically designed for Astro. Drumroll, please! Allow me to introduce Astro Monetization (Contributions are welcome), an Astro plugin that effortlessly enables Web monetization on your Astro sites. 🚀

Its Value or Impact:

This project has a dual impact. Firstly, it revitalizes tools, upgrading them to the latest Web Monetization spec, offering the latest and simplified functionality, and opening new monetization possibilities. 💡

Secondly, the new Astro Monetization project simplifies the process of enabling Web Monetization on Astro sites. This provides Astro developers with an easy option to seamlessly integrate web monetization on a site, fostering more dynamic and web monetization-friendly web pages. 🌐💰

Challenges Encountered and Lessons Learned:

Every journey has its challenges, and this was no exception. Exploring three new frameworks within a tight seven-hour window tested my adaptability. Additionally, grappling with less-than-optimal documentation in existing tools underscored the importance of clear, comprehensive documentation in the open-source world. These challenges taught me the value of resilience and accessible documentation in ensuring an open-source project's success. 📚💻

Future Work

While the hackathon may be over, my journey with "The Migration of the Web Monetization Tools" is far from complete.

The next steps involve:

• Discussing with the project owners of Hugo(11ty is already merged) and get the PR reviewed and merged.
• Upgrading the remaining web monetization tools listed on webmonetization.org.
• Implementing a restricted content module for my Astro Monetization tool.

Simultaneously, I'm eager to dive into building new tools specifically tailored for other site generators and frameworks.

The vision is to create a vibrant and inclusive ecosystem that evolves with the ever-changing web monetization landscape.

In conclusion, winning the hackathon is more than just a personal victory; "The Migration of Web Monetization Tools" stands as proof of what individuals can accomplish when they tackle challenges, contributing to a future on the web that is brighter and more Web monetized.

Reach out to me if you are interested in getting involved with this project at viswanathamsantosh@gmail.com

Stay tuned for more updates as I continue this journey, and Thank you, Interledger Team and Judges, for your support and encouragement. 🙌✨