The Darnold Trust Meter 🏈

A live, crowd-sourced confidence gauge for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. Inspired by the famous NYT election needle.

Features

• Live Trust Meter: A beautiful half-moon gauge with a jittering needle
• Crowd-sourced: The needle position reflects the last 100 votes
• 5-Minute Cooldown: Prevents spam voting
• Trust History: A chart showing how confidence has changed over time

Running Locally

Prerequisites

• Node.js version 18 or higher

Steps

1. Open Terminal (on Mac: press Cmd + Space, type "Terminal", press Enter)

2. Navigate to the project folder:

   cd /Users/seth.walder/Documents/darnold-trust-meter

3. Install dependencies:

   npm install

4. Start the server:

   npm start

5. Open your browser and go to: http://localhost:3000

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Deploying to the Internet (Making it Public)

I recommend Render.com - it's free and beginner-friendly.

Step-by-Step Deployment Guide

Step 1: Create a GitHub Account (if you don't have one)

1. Go to github.com
2. Click "Sign up" and follow the prompts
3. Verify your email

Step 2: Install GitHub Desktop (easiest way)

1. Go to desktop.github.com
2. Download and install it
3. Sign in with your GitHub account

Step 3: Upload Your Code to GitHub

1. Open GitHub Desktop
2. Click "Add" → "Add Existing Repository"
3. Navigate to /Users/seth.walder/Documents/darnold-trust-meter
4. If it says "This directory is not a Git repository", click "Create a Repository"
5. Fill in:
   • Name: darnold-trust-meter
   • Description: How Much Do You Trust Sam Darnold Right Now?
6. Click "Create Repository"
7. Click "Publish Repository" (top right)
8. Uncheck "Keep this code private" if you want it public
9. Click "Publish Repository"

Step 4: Deploy on Render.com

1. Go to render.com
2. Click "Get Started for Free"
3. Sign up with your GitHub account
4. Click "New +" → "Web Service"
5. Connect your GitHub repository (darnold-trust-meter)
6. Configure the service:
   • Name: darnold-trust-meter
   • Region: Choose closest to you
   • Branch: main
   • Runtime: Node
   • Build Command: npm install
   • Start Command: npm start
7. Click "Create Web Service"
8. Wait a few minutes for it to deploy

Step 5: Get Your URL

Once deployed, Render will give you a URL like: https://darnold-trust-meter.onrender.com

Share this URL and anyone can use your trust meter!

Important Notes for Production

Database Persistence: The free tier of Render resets the filesystem periodically. For persistent data, you'd want to:

1. Use Render's PostgreSQL database (free tier available)
2. Or use a service like Supabase (free tier)

I've kept it simple with SQLite for now, but if you want the votes to persist long-term, let me know and I can help you set up a proper database.

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Customization Ideas

• Change "Sam Darnold" to any player/topic
• Modify the color scheme in public/styles.css
• Change the meter labels (YIKES/MEH/ELITE) in public/index.html
• Adjust the cooldown period in server.js (search for fiveMinutes)

Tech Stack

• Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• Backend: Node.js with Express
• Database: SQLite (via better-sqlite3)
• Charts: Chart.js

File Structure

darnold-trust-meter/
├── server.js          # Backend server & API
├── package.json       # Dependencies
├── public/
│   ├── index.html     # Main page with meter
│   ├── styles.css     # All styling
│   ├── app.js         # Frontend JavaScript
│   └── history.html   # Trust history chart page
└── README.md          # This file

Need Help?

If you run into any issues, common problems include:

• "npm not found": Make sure Node.js is installed
• Port already in use: Change the PORT in server.js or stop other servers
• Database errors: Delete trustmeter.db and restart the server

Enjoy your trust meter! 🏈