diff --git a/bot/__main__.py b/bot/__main__.py
index 362b16f0..0047bce7 100644
--- a/bot/__main__.py
+++ b/bot/__main__.py
@@ -12,5 +12,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         backend_url=settings.BACKEND_URL,
         api_key=settings.API_KEY,
         owner_id=settings.OWNER_ID,
+        template_dir=settings.TEMPLATE_DIR,
+        debug=settings.DEBUG,
     )
     bot.run()
diff --git a/bot/bot.py b/bot/bot.py
index e6e90770..6ab11ed0 100644
--- a/bot/bot.py
+++ b/bot/bot.py
@@ -1,12 +1,20 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 import asyncio
-from typing import Optional, Union
+from datetime import timedelta
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any, Optional, Union
 
 import discord
+import discord.ui as ui
+import jinja2
 from api_client import ApiClient, TaskType
 from discord import app_commands
 from loguru import logger
 from oasst_shared.schemas import protocol as protocol_schema
+from utils import get_git_head_hash, utcnow
+
+__version__ = "0.0.1"
+BOT_NAME = "Open-Assistant Junior"
 
 
 class RatingButton(discord.ui.Button):
@@ -26,6 +34,26 @@ def generate_rating_view(lo: int, hi: int, response_handler) -> discord.ui.View:
     return view
 
 
+class Questionnaire(ui.Modal, title="Questionnaire Response"):
+    name = ui.TextInput(label="Name")
+    answer = ui.TextInput(label="Answer", style=discord.TextStyle.paragraph)
+
+    async def on_submit(self, interaction: discord.Interaction):
+        await interaction.response.send_message(f"Thanks for your response, {self.name}!", ephemeral=True)
+
+
+class MessageTemplates:
+    def __init__(self, template_dir="./templates"):
+        self.env = jinja2.Environment(
+            loader=jinja2.FileSystemLoader(template_dir),
+            autoescape=jinja2.select_autoescape(disabled_extensions=("msg",), default=False, default_for_string=False),
+        )
+
+    def render(self, template_name, **kwargs):
+        template = self.env.get_template(template_name)
+        return template.render(kwargs)
+
+
 class OpenAssistantBot:
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -34,7 +62,14 @@ class OpenAssistantBot:
         backend_url: str,
         api_key: str,
         owner_id: Optional[Union[int, str]] = None,
+        template_dir: str = "./templates",
+        debug: bool = False,
     ):
+        self.template_dir = Path(template_dir)
+        self.bot_channel_name = bot_channel_name
+        self.templates = MessageTemplates(template_dir)
+        self.debug = debug
+
         intents = discord.Intents.default()
         intents.message_content = True
 
@@ -59,6 +94,11 @@ class OpenAssistantBot:
             client.loop.create_task(self.background_timer(), name="OpenAssistantBot.background_timer()")
             logger.info(f"{client.user} is now running!")
 
+            await self.delete_all_old_bot_messages()
+            if self.debug:
+                await self.post_boot_message()
+            await self.post_welcome_message()
+
         @client.event
         async def on_message(message: discord.Message):
             # ignore own messages
@@ -78,7 +118,42 @@ class OpenAssistantBot:
         @self.tree.command()
         async def work(interaction: discord.Interaction):
             """Request a new personalized task"""
-            await interaction.response.send_message(f"work command by {interaction.user.name}")
+            # task = self.backend.fetch_task(protocol_schema.TaskRequestType.rate_summary, user=None)
+            # task = self.backend.fetch_random_task(user=None)
+            q = Questionnaire()
+            await interaction.response.send_modal(q)
+
+    def ensure_bot_channel(self) -> None:
+        if self.bot_channel is None:
+            raise RuntimeError(f"bot channel '{self.bot_channel_name}' not found")
+
+    async def post(self, content: str, view: discord.ui.View = None) -> discord.Message:
+        self.ensure_bot_channel()
+        return await self.bot_channel.send(content=content)
+
+    async def post_template(self, name: str, view: discord.ui.View = None, **kwargs: Any) -> discord.Message:
+        logger.info(f"rendering {name}")
+        text = self.templates.render(name, **kwargs)
+        return await self.post(text, view)
+
+    async def post_boot_message(self) -> discord.Message:
+        return await self.post_template(
+            "boot.msg", bot_name=BOT_NAME, version=__version__, git_hash=get_git_head_hash(), debug=self.debug
+        )
+
+    async def post_welcome_message(self) -> discord.Message:
+        return await self.post_template("welcome.msg")
+
+    async def delete_all_old_bot_messages(self) -> None:
+        logger.info("Begin deleting old bot messages.")
+        look_until = utcnow() - timedelta(days=365)
+        async for msg in self.bot_channel.history(limit=None):
+            msg: discord.Message
+            if msg.created_at < look_until:
+                break
+            if msg.author.id == self.client.user.id:
+                await msg.delete()
+        logger.info("Completed deleting old bot messages.")
 
     async def print_separtor(self, title: str) -> discord.Message:
         msg: discord.Message = await self.bot_channel.send(f"\n:point_right:  {title}  :point_left:\n")
@@ -100,21 +175,12 @@ class OpenAssistantBot:
         return msg
 
     async def generate_rate_summary(self, task: protocol_schema.RateSummaryTask):
-        s = [
-            "Rate the following summary:",
-            task.summary,
-            "Full text:",
-            task.full_text,
-            f"Rating scale: {task.scale.min} - {task.scale.max}",
-        ]
-        text = "\n".join(s)
-
         async def rating_response_handler(score, interaction: discord.Interaction):
             logger.info("rating_response_handler", score)
             await interaction.response.send_message(f"got your feedback: {score}")
 
         view = generate_rating_view(task.scale.min, task.scale.max, rating_response_handler)
-        msg: discord.Message = await self.bot_channel.send(text, view=view)
+        msg: discord.Message = await self.post_template("rate_summary", task=task, view=view)
 
         async def on_reply(message: discord.Message):
             logger.info("on_summary_reply", message)
@@ -235,8 +301,8 @@ class OpenAssistantBot:
         return msg
 
     async def next_task(self):
-        # task = self.backend.fetch_task(protocol_schema.TaskRequestType.user_reply, user=None)
-        task = self.backend.fetch_random_task(user=None)
+        task = self.backend.fetch_task(protocol_schema.TaskRequestType.summarize_story, user=None)
+        # task = self.backend.fetch_random_task(user=None)
 
         await self.print_separtor("New Task")
 
@@ -269,7 +335,7 @@ class OpenAssistantBot:
                     await self.next_task()
                 except Exception:
                     logger.exception("fetching next task failed")
-            await asyncio.sleep(30)
+            await asyncio.sleep(60)
 
     async def _sync(self, command: str, message: discord.Message):
 
diff --git a/bot/bot_settings.py b/bot/bot_settings.py
index b7a46aa6..c976d7cd 100644
--- a/bot/bot_settings.py
+++ b/bot/bot_settings.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ class BotSettings(BaseSettings):
     BOT_TOKEN: str
     BOT_CHANNEL_NAME: str = "bot"
     OWNER_ID: int = None
+    TEMPLATE_DIR: str = "./templates"
+    DEBUG: bool = True
 
 
 settings = BotSettings(_env_file=".env")
diff --git a/bot/requirements.txt b/bot/requirements.txt
index da4762a6..927ebcf2 100644
--- a/bot/requirements.txt
+++ b/bot/requirements.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 discord.py==2.1.0
+Jinja2==3.1.2
 pydantic==1.9.1
 python-dotenv==0.21.0
+pytz==2022.7
 requests==2.28.1
+schedule==1.1.0
diff --git a/bot/templates/boot.msg b/bot/templates/boot.msg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1d212e99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bot/templates/boot.msg
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+```
+________                          __
+\_____  \ _____  _____    _______/  |_
+ /   |   \\__  \ \__  \  /  ___/\   __\
+/    |    \/ __ \_/ __ \_\___ \  |  |
+\_______  (____  (____  /____  > |__|
+        \/     \/     \/     \/
+
+{{bot_name}} {{version}}
+git hash: {{git_hash}}
+debug_mode: {{debug}}
+```
+
+https://github.com/LAION-AI/Open-Assistant
diff --git a/bot/templates/rate_summary.msg b/bot/templates/rate_summary.msg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..31007c40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bot/templates/rate_summary.msg
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Rate the following summary:
+{{task.summary}}
+
+Full text:
+{{task.full_text}}
+
+Rating scale: {{task.scale.min}} - {{task.scale.max}}
diff --git a/bot/templates/welcome.msg b/bot/templates/welcome.msg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..553f7925
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bot/templates/welcome.msg
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Hi there,
+
+I am the **Open-Assistant Junior Bot** 🤖. I would love to get your feedback 🤗!
+Currently I am still learning from human demonstrations how to reply to instructions. When I am grown up I want to become a fully functional AI Assistant language model that is fully open-sourced and assists millions of humans all over the world.
+
+Type `/tutorial` to start the tutorial or `/help` to see a list of all my commands.
diff --git a/bot/utils.py b/bot/utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1a06b833
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bot/utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+import subprocess
+from datetime import datetime
+
+import pytz
+
+
+def get_git_head_hash():
+    # get current git hash
+    x = subprocess.run(["git", "rev-parse", "HEAD"], stdout=subprocess.PIPE, universal_newlines=True)
+    if x.returncode == 0:
+        return x.stdout.replace("\n", "")
+    return None
+
+
+def utcnow() -> datetime:
+    return datetime.now(pytz.UTC)
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 83b614a2..30541eec 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ line_length = 120
 [tool.black]
 line-length = 120
 target-version = ['py310']
+exclude = ["bot/templates"]