diff --git a/public/javascripts/models/task.js b/public/javascripts/models/task.js
index 3d68270..4d7564c 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/models/task.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/models/task.js
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ Backbone
     defaults: {
 	  parentId: 0,
       content: '',
-      isCompleted: 0
+      isCompleted: 0,
+      priority: 0
     },
 
     toggelCompletedStatus:function(isCompleted){
diff --git a/public/javascripts/views/list.js b/public/javascripts/views/list.js
index be0f6b1..f023d3f 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/views/list.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/views/list.js
@@ -1,50 +1,60 @@
 define(
-['jquery',
-'backbone',
-'collections/list',
-'views/task'
-],
+    ['jquery',
+        'backbone',
+        'collections/list',
+        'views/task'
+    ],
 
-function(
-$,
-Backbone,
-List,
-TaskView
-) {
+    function (
+        $,
+        Backbone,
+        List,
+        TaskView
+    ) {
 
-  var ListView = Backbone.View.extend({
+        var ListView = Backbone.View.extend({
 
-    el: $("#main .children"),
+            el: $("#main .children"),
 
-    events: {
-      'click #add': 'addTask'
-    },
+            events: {
+                'click #add': 'addTask'
+            },
 
-    initialize: function() {
-      Tasks = this.collection = new List();
-      this.collection.fetch();
-      this.listenTo(this.collection, 'add', this.renderTask);
-    },
+            initialize: function () {
+                Tasks = this.collection = new List();
+                var fetchPromise = this.collection.fetch();
 
-    render: function() {
-      this.collection.each(function(task) {
-        this.renderTask(task);
-      }, this);
-    },
+                fetchPromise.fail(function (e) {
+                    // if the server isn't running load some demo data and a demo warning
+                    $('#header').append('<div class="alert-box warning round">Warning: Running in demo mode, all work will be lost</div>');
+                    var data = JSON.parse(demoData);
+                    for (var i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
+                        Tasks.add(data[i]);
+                    }
+                }, this);
 
-    renderTask: function(task) {
-      var taskView = new TaskView({
-        model: task
-      });
-      var a = taskView.render();
-      if (a.model.get('parentId')===0)
-        this.$el.append(a.el);
-      else
-        a.$el.insertAfter($('*[data-id="'+a.model.get('parentId')+'"]').parents('li:first'));
-    }
+                this.listenTo(this.collection, 'add', this.renderTask);
+            },
 
- });
+            render: function () {
+                this.collection.each(function (task) {
+                    this.renderTask(task);
+                }, this);
+            },
 
-return ListView;
+            renderTask: function (task) {
+                var taskView = new TaskView({
+                    model: task
+                });
+                var a = taskView.render();
+                if (a.model.get('parentId') === 0)
+                    this.$el.append(a.el);
+                else
+                    a.$el.insertAfter($('*[data-id="' + (a.model.get('parentId')||0) + '"]').parents('li:first'));
+            }
 
-});
+        });
+
+        return ListView;
+
+    });
diff --git a/public/javascripts/views/task.js b/public/javascripts/views/task.js
index 324952d..f44d059 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/views/task.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/views/task.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+var demoData = '[{"id":44,"content":"Welcome to HackFlowy!","parent":0,"isCompleted":false,"createdAt":"2016-01-29T00:24:42.661Z","updatedAt":"2016-01-29T01:07:02.189Z"},{"id":45,"content":"An open-source WorkFlowy clone","parent":0,"isCompleted":false,"createdAt":"2016-01-29T00:24:42.661Z","updatedAt":"2016-01-29T01:07:06.453Z"},{"id":46,"content":"Built using Backbone + Socket.IO","parent":0,"isCompleted":false,"createdAt":"2016-01-29T00:24:42.661Z","updatedAt":"2016-01-29T01:09:10.862Z"},{"id":47,"content":"I pulled this together in a few hours to learn Backbone","parent":0,"isCompleted":false,"createdAt":"2016-01-29T00:24:42.661Z","updatedAt":"2016-01-29T01:07:47.734Z"},{"id":48,"content":"Feel free to try it out and hack on it","parent":0,"isCompleted":false,"createdAt":"2016-01-29T00:24:42.661Z","updatedAt":"2016-01-29T01:07:42.292Z"},{"id":49,"content":"Good Luck!","parent":0,"isCompleted":true,"createdAt":"2016-01-29T00:24:42.661Z","updatedAt":"2016-01-29T01:08:00.533Z"},{"id":50,"content":"uyi","parent":0,"isCompleted":false,"createdAt":"2016-01-29T01:14:22.854Z","updatedAt":"2016-01-29T01:14:22.854Z"},{"id":51,"content":"uyk","parent":0,"isCompleted":false,"createdAt":"2016-01-29T01:14:25.406Z","updatedAt":"2016-01-29T01:14:25.406Z"},{"id":72,"content":"uu","parent":null,"isCompleted":false,"createdAt":"2016-01-29T02:09:38.202Z","updatedAt":"2016-01-29T02:09:38.202Z"},{"id":73,"content":"yu","parent":null,"isCompleted":false,"createdAt":"2016-01-29T02:09:39.450Z","updatedAt":"2016-01-29T02:09:39.450Z"}]';
+
 define(
     ['jquery',
         'backbone',
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ define(
                         });
                     }
                 });
+
             },
 
             render: function () {
@@ -53,6 +56,7 @@ define(
                     model: this.model.toJSON()
                 }));
                 if (this.model.get('parentId') != 0) {
+                    // add a shift[n] class for n-indents
                     this.$el.addClass('shift1');
                     var className = $('*[data-id="' + this.model.get('parentId') + '"]').parents('li:first').attr('class');
                     if (className != undefined && className != 0 && className.substring(0, 5) == 'shift') {
@@ -166,8 +170,8 @@ define(
              */
             addNote: function (inputEle) {
                 var $inputEle = $(inputEle);
-                var currentId = $inputEle.data('id')||0;
-                parentId = currentId!==0 ? Tasks.get(currentId).get('parentId'): 0;
+                var currentId = $inputEle.data('id') || 0;
+                parentId = currentId !== 0 ? Tasks.get(currentId).get('parentId') : 0;
 
                 Tasks.add({
                     content: '',