add documentation

README.md

@@ -2,4 +2,51 @@
 
 next generation markov chain irc shitposting bot
 
-documentation coming soon!
+### The problem
+The original shithead uses far too much ram and is badly implemented.
+
+### The solution
+Let's reimplement it and get redis to do all the heavy lifting.
+
+## Getting Started
+A brainfile is simply an irc log with all joins, parts, timestamps and nicknames stripped. In other words, it contains only what was said.
+
+```bash
+# if you have an old brainfile, import it into redis
+perl import-brain.pl /home/you/brainfile
+# this can take a long time (about ten minutes for me), so be patient
+```
+
+```bash
+# now, you need a config file
+cp config.default.yml config.yml
+# edit the values in config.yml to your choosing
+```
+
+Now, just run `perl MarkovBot.pl`.
+
+## Commands
+
+* .shitposting - controls the % of messages the bot will reply to
+```
+< user> .shitposting 1.5
+< shithead-ng> OK
+```
+
+* .ignore - make the bot totally ignore a user (useful for bots)
+```
+< user> .ignore bot
+< shithead-ng> Now ignoring bot.
+```
+
+* .unignore - removes a user from the ignore list
+```
+< user> .unignore bot
+< shithead-ng> No longer ignoring bot.
+```
+
+* .ping - check that shithead-ng is still alive
+```
+< user> .ping
+< shithead-ng> Pong!
+```