diff --git a/generate.ignore.py b/generate.ignore.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index e7157ff..5b68af2
--- a/generate.ignore.py
+++ b/generate.ignore.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#!python3
+
 from jinja2 import Environment, FileSystemLoader, select_autoescape
 import os
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -5,9 +7,16 @@ import shutil
 import argparse
 import markdown
 
-parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+
+#TODO: make this find templates first and save them, rather than hardcoding all of them
+#TODO: build some kind of functionality for listing and categorizing and otherwise having metadata for each file
+
+
+parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog="generate.ignore.py",
+                                 description="shoofle's static site generator for shoofle.net")
 parser.add_argument("-i", "--input", type=Path, help="source materials")
 parser.add_argument("-o", "--output", type=Path, help="where to put the rendered site")
+parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", action="store_true", help="show verbose output")
 args = parser.parse_args()
 
 source = args.input
@@ -17,26 +26,31 @@ env = Environment(
     loader=FileSystemLoader(source),
     autoescape=select_autoescape())
 
-# clear out the folder finalized
-
-# walk the source directory and make all the corresponding files into finalized
-
-# article template is used for all .article.html files
 article_template = env.get_template("articles/article.template.html")
 
 md = markdown.Markdown(extensions=["tables"])
 
 template_for_markdown = env.get_template("articles/article.template.md")
 
-for path_to_source in source.glob("**/*"):
+
+def process_file(path_to_source, source, finals):
     rel_path = path_to_source.relative_to(source)
     path_to_output = finals / rel_path
     
-    if ".ignore" in str(rel_path): continue
-    if ".git" in str(rel_path): continue
-
+    if ".ignore" in str(rel_path): return
+    if ".git" in str(rel_path): return
+    
     if path_to_source.is_dir(): pass
 
+    elif ".template.html" in str(path_to_source): pass
+    elif ".template.md" in str(path_to_source): pass
+    
+    elif ".renderme" in str(path_to_source):
+        path_to_output = path_to_output.parent / path_to_output.name.replace(".renderme","")
+        with open(path_to_output, "w") as output_file:
+            os.makedirs(path_to_output.parent, exist_ok=True)
+            output_file.write(env.get_template(rel_path).render())
+    
     elif ".article.html" in str(path_to_source):
         # all .article.html files are transformed into a folder of the same name and then rendered with the at index.html
         
@@ -48,7 +62,6 @@ for path_to_source in source.glob("**/*"):
         with open(path_to_output, "w") as output_file:
             output_file.write(article_template.render(title="Article", target=str(rel_path)))
 
-
     elif ".article.md" in str(path_to_source):
         # all .article.md files are rendered, then the same thing done as for article.html files
 
@@ -66,16 +79,24 @@ for path_to_source in source.glob("**/*"):
         with open(path_to_output, "w") as output_file:
             output_file.write(template_for_markdown.render(title="Article", contents=html_source))
 
-    elif ".renderme" in str(path_to_source):
-        path_to_output = path_to_output.parent / path_to_output.name.replace(".renderme","")
-        with open(path_to_output, "w") as output_file:
-            os.makedirs(path_to_output.parent, exist_ok=True)
-            output_file.write(env.get_template(rel_path).render())
-
-    elif ".template.html" in str(path_to_source): pass
-    elif ".template.md" in str(path_to_source): pass
-
     else:
         os.makedirs(path_to_output.parent, exist_ok=True)
         shutil.copy(path_to_source, path_to_output)
         
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    for directory_path, directory_names, file_names in os.walk(source, topdown=True):
+        #filter out all .ignore and .git directories
+        for i in reversed(range(len(directory_names))):
+            if ".ignore" in directory_names[i] or ".git" in directory_names[i]: del directory_names[i]
+
+        for file in file_names:
+            process_file(
+                    Path(directory_path) / Path(file),
+                    source,
+                    finals
+                    )
+            if args.verbose: print(f"processing {file} in {directory_path}")
+
+