Automation for OpenGov with Notion

Summary

This guide walks through the setup of a Polka Dot voting automation tool designed to save time and reduce costs for DAOs. By automating vote tracking and batching transactions, users can save significant amounts on voting fees and cut voting time drastically. The process involves installing necessary software, setting up a Notion template, connecting it to an API, configuring a script, and running it to automatically track and vote on proposals. With clear step-by-step instructions, the guide ensures a smooth setup to help DAOs streamline their voting process.

Takeaways

• 😀 Automating voting in DAOs can save both time and money by reducing voting costs and the time spent tracking proposals.
• 😀 By batching transactions, the tool reduced voting costs from $90 to just $9 and saved 20 minutes of voting time per week.
• 😀 The setup process takes about 20 minutes and requires specific tools like GitHub Desktop, Visual Studio Code, and Node.js.
• 😀 You will need a Notion account, a proxy address controlled by your multisig, and other essential credentials for configuration.
• 😀 Step 1: Duplicate the Notion voting template to track referendum titles, statuses, and voting decisions.
• 😀 Step 2: Create a Notion API key by navigating through the Notion settings and generating a new integration for your workspace.
• 😀 Step 3: Connect the Notion integration to the voting template so the script can update your database automatically.
• 😀 Step 4: Obtain the database ID from the Notion page URL to ensure the script can interact with the right data.
• 😀 Step 5: Fork the script from GitHub and clone it to your local machine using GitHub Desktop for easy access and modification.
• 😀 Step 6: Create a proposer address in Mimi for batching votes, which does not need a DOT and is used to prepare transactions for the multisig to sign.
• 😀 Step 7: Configure the script by pasting your Notion API key, database ID, multisig proxy addresses, voting threshold, and proposer mnemonic into the appropriate file.
• 😀 Step 8: Run the script in Visual Studio Code to install necessary packages, prepare, and start the automation process.
• 😀 Step 9: Review proposals in Notion, mark them as ready to vote, and visit localhost to view and approve the batch of votes for signing.
• 😀 After successful setup, the automation tool will save you significant time and reduce voting costs, ensuring a more efficient DAO voting process.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the Polka Dot voting automation setup?

The purpose of the Polka Dot voting automation setup is to save time and money for DAOs by automating the voting process, cutting down on voting costs, and reducing the time spent on tracking proposals.

How much did the team save in voting costs after implementing this tool?

The team saved $81 in voting costs, reducing the costs from $90 to just $9.

What are the initial tools and software needed to set up the automation script?

You will need GitHub Desktop to manage the script, Visual Studio Code to edit it, and the LTS version of Node.js to run the script. You will also need a Notion account and a multisig-controlled proxy address.

How do you confirm that Node.js is working after installation?

After installing Node.js, open a terminal and type `node -v` and `npm -v` to confirm that Node.js and npm are installed and working properly.

What is the first step in setting up the Notion voting template?

The first step is to duplicate the Notion voting template by clicking the duplicate button in the template link to copy it into your workspace.

How do you create a Notion API key?

To create a Notion API key, go to the three dots in the upper-right corner of Notion, select 'Connections', and then 'Manage Connections'. After selecting 'Develop or Manage New Integration', click on 'New Integration', choose your workspace, and name it. After creating it, copy the internal integration secret, which is your API key.

How do you connect the Notion integration to the voting template?

To connect the Notion integration to the voting template, open your duplicated voting page in Notion, go to the 'Connections' section in the database settings, and click to add connections. Find your new integration by name and click to connect it.

What is the purpose of the proposer address in Mimi?

The proposer address in Mimi is used for batching votes. It doesn't need a dot and is designed to prepare transactions for your multisig to sign.

What should you do in Visual Studio Code to configure the script?

In Visual Studio Code, open the cloned repo and find or create a file called `end` based on the `end.sample` file. Paste in your Notion API key, database ID, multisig proxy addresses, the voting threshold, and your proposer's mnemonic phrase. Be sure to keep this file private.

How do you run the script in Visual Studio Code?

To run the script in Visual Studio Code, open a terminal, type `cd backend` to navigate to the script directory, then type `npm install` to install required packages. After that, run `npm run build` to prepare the script and `npm run start` to launch it. The script will start checking Polkadot every 15 minutes.