diff --git a/docs/.eslintrc b/docs/.eslintrc
deleted file mode 100644
index 3bae635..0000000
--- a/docs/.eslintrc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "env": {
-    "browser": 0
-  },
- 
-  "globals": {
-    "require": 1,
-    "console": 1
-    "module": 1
-  },
- 
-  "rules": {
-    "quotes": [2, "double"],
-    "strict": [2, "global"],
-    "no-console": 0
-  },
-
-  "ecmaFeatures": {
-    "blockBindings": true,
-    "forOf": true,
-    "jsx": true
-  },
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/eslintrc.yaml b/docs/eslintrc.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 4c8b9f4..0000000
--- a/docs/eslintrc.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-rules:
-  indent:
-    - 2
-    - 4
-  quotes:
-    - 2
-    - double
-  linebreak-style:
-    - 2
-    - unix
-  semi:
-    - 2
-    - always
-
-  no-unused-vars: 
-    - 2
-    - 
-      vars: "none"
-      args: "after-used"
-
-
-env:
-  es6: true
-  node: true
diff --git a/gulpfile.js b/gulpfile.js
index 6ec5145..c01adf6 100644
--- a/gulpfile.js
+++ b/gulpfile.js
@@ -28,6 +28,6 @@ gulp.task('set-env', () => {
   });
 });
 
-gulp.task('default', ['set-env', 'test'], () => {
+gulp.task('default', ['lint', 'set-env', 'test'], () => {
 
 });
diff --git a/lib/bot/BotCommands.js b/lib/bot/BotCommands.js
index 904604b..4f739d2 100644
--- a/lib/bot/BotCommands.js
+++ b/lib/bot/BotCommands.js
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@ const KBase = require('../bot/KBase'),
       Utils = require('../../lib/utils/Utils'),
       AppConfig = require('../../config/AppConfig'),
       InputWrap = require('../bot/InputWrap'),
-      _ = require('lodash'),
-      stringy = require('stringy');
+      _ = require('lodash');
 
 const newline = '\n';
 
@@ -50,17 +49,6 @@ const BotCommands = {
     return '@' + username + ' said: ' + input.message.model.text;
   },
 
-  echojson: function(input) {
-    // avoid circular refs
-    const jsonString = stringy.stringify(input);
-    console.log(jsonString);
-    const safeObj = JSON.parse(jsonString);
-    console.log(safeObj);
-    const pretty = JSON.stringify(safeObj, null, 2);
-
-    return '```json' + pretty + '```';
-  },
-
   botversion: function() {
     return 'botVersion: ' + AppConfig.botVersion;
   },
diff --git a/lib/bot/cmds/thanks.js b/lib/bot/cmds/thanks.js
index b67f371..a0f04d2 100644
--- a/lib/bot/cmds/thanks.js
+++ b/lib/bot/cmds/thanks.js
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
-/*jslint todo: true */
 'use strict';
 
-const GBot = require('../../../lib/bot/GBot.js'),
-      Utils = require('../../../lib/utils/Utils'),
+const Utils = require('../../../lib/utils/Utils'),
       HttpWrap = require('../../../lib/utils/HttpWrap'),
       TextLib = require('../../../lib/utils/TextLib');
 
diff --git a/lib/utils/Utils.js b/lib/utils/Utils.js
index 5035745..5d87b84 100644
--- a/lib/utils/Utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils/Utils.js
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 
 require('dotenv').config({path: 'dot.env'});
 
-const assert = require('chai').assert,
-      clc = require('cli-color'),
+const clc = require('cli-color'),
       _ = require('lodash'),
       AppConfig = require('../../config/AppConfig'),
       MDNlinks = require('../../data/seed/bonfireMDNlinks');
@@ -149,7 +148,11 @@ const Utils = {
   },
 
   splitParams: function(text) {
-    assert.isString(text);
+    if (typeof text !== 'string') {
+      this.warn('splitParams>', 'text is not a string');
+      return null;
+    }
+
     let params;
     const parts = text.split(' '),
           keyword = parts.shift();
@@ -177,7 +180,6 @@ const Utils = {
 
   isObject: function(obj, errmsg) {
     errmsg = errmsg || 'not an object';
-    return true;
 
     if (typeof obj === 'object') {
       // means OK
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ee44e72..1458947 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -2,20 +2,15 @@
   "name": "gitter-demo-app",
   "version": "0.0.1",
   "dependencies": {
-    "chai": "",
     "cli-color": "",
     "dotenv": "^1.2.0",
     "express": "~3.4.4",
-    "glob": "",
     "jade": "~0.35.0",
-    "js-yaml": "",
     "lodash": "^3.10.1",
-    "node-gitter": "",
+    "node-gitter": "^1.2.8",
     "passport": "~0.2.0",
     "passport-oauth2": "~1.1.1",
-    "request": "~2.27.0",
-    "simple-node-logger": "",
-    "stringy": ""
+    "request": "~2.27.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "babel-eslint": "^4.1.6",
@@ -31,8 +26,6 @@
   },
   "scripts": {
     "start": "node app.js",
-    "pretest": "make restart-test-server",
-    "test": "NODE_ENV=test mocha",
-    "posttest": "make stop-test-server"
+    "test": "gulp"
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/TestHelper.js b/test/TestHelper.js
index cdb1dbd..282ad24 100644
--- a/test/TestHelper.js
+++ b/test/TestHelper.js
@@ -1,150 +1,147 @@
-"use strict";
+'use strict';
 
+const GBot = require('../lib/bot/GBot');
 
-var GBot = require('../lib/bot/GBot');
-
-var TestHelper = {
-    aboutInput: {
-        keyword: 'about',
-        params: '@bothelp ',
-        message: {
-            operation: 'create',
-            model: {
-                id: '55b95acb5bc8dc88744243ff',
-                text: 'about @bothelp',
-                html: 'about <span data-link-type="mention" data-screen-name="bothelp" class="mention">@bothelp</span> ',
-                sent: '2015-07-29T22:59:23.187Z',
-                editedAt: null,
-                fromUser: {
-                    username: "testuser"
-                },
-                unread: true,
-                readBy: 0,
-                urls: [],
-                mentions: [
-                    {screenName: 'dcsan'},
-                    {screenName: 'berkeleytrue'}
-                ],
-                issues: [],
-                meta: {},
-                v: 1
-            },
-            room: {
-                path: '/rooms',
-                id: '55b3d5780fc9f982beaaf7f4',
-                name: 'camperbot/localdev',
-                topic: ' testing',
-                uri: 'camperbot/localdev',
-                oneToOne: false,
-                userCount: 5,
-                unreadItems: 100,
-                mentions: 27,
-                lastAccessTime: '2015-07-29T14:41:04.820Z',
-                lurk: false,
-                url: '/camperbot/localdev',
-                githubType: 'USER_CHANNEL',
-                security: 'PUBLIC',
-                noindex: false,
-                v: 1,
-                client: [Object],
-                faye: [Object],
-                _events: [Object]
-            }
+const TestHelper = {
+  aboutInput: {
+    keyword: 'about',
+    params: '@bothelp ',
+    message: {
+      operation: 'create',
+      model: {
+        id: '55b95acb5bc8dc88744243ff',
+        text: 'about @bothelp',
+        html: 'about <span data-link-type="mention" data-screen-name' +
+              '="bothelp" class="mention">@bothelp</span> ',
+        sent: '2015-07-29T22:59:23.187Z',
+        editedAt: null,
+        fromUser: {
+          username: 'testuser'
         },
-        cleanText: 'about @bothelp ',
-        command: true
+        unread: true,
+        readBy: 0,
+        urls: [],
+        mentions: [
+          {screenName: 'dcsan'},
+          {screenName: 'berkeleytrue'}
+        ],
+        issues: [],
+        meta: {},
+        v: 1
+      },
+      room: {
+        path: '/rooms',
+        id: '55b3d5780fc9f982beaaf7f4',
+        name: 'camperbot/localdev',
+        topic: ' testing',
+        uri: 'camperbot/localdev',
+        oneToOne: false,
+        userCount: 5,
+        unreadItems: 100,
+        mentions: 27,
+        lastAccessTime: '2015-07-29T14:41:04.820Z',
+        lurk: false,
+        url: '/camperbot/localdev',
+        githubType: 'USER_CHANNEL',
+        security: 'PUBLIC',
+        noindex: false,
+        v: 1,
+        client: [Object],
+        faye: [Object],
+        _events: [Object]
+      }
     },
+    cleanText: 'about @bothelp ',
+    command: true
+  },
 
-    stubInput: {
-        keyword: 'hint',
-        params: undefined,
-        message: {
-            operation: 'create',
-            model: {
-                id: '55b91175c35e438c74fc725c',
-                text: 'hint',
-                html: 'hint',
-                sent: '2015-07-29T17:46:29.190Z',
-                editedAt: null,
-                fromUser: [Object],
-                unread: true,
-                readBy: 0,
-                urls: [],
-                mentions: [],
-                issues: [],
-                meta: {},
-                v: 1
-            },
-            room: {
-                path: '/rooms',
-                id: '55b8fc980fc9f982beab6b19',
-                name: 'bothelp/bonfire-factorialize-a-number',
-                topic: '',
-                uri: 'bothelp/bonfire-factorialize-a-number',
-                oneToOne: false,
-                userCount: 3,
-                unreadItems: 9,
-                mentions: 0,
-                lastAccessTime: '2015-07-29T16:17:28.850Z',
-                lurk: false,
-                url: '/bothelp/bonfire-factorialize-a-number',
-                githubType: 'USER_CHANNEL',
-                security: 'PUBLIC',
-                noindex: false,
-                client: [Object],
-                faye: [Object],
-                _events: [Object]
-            }
-        },
-        cleanText: 'hint',
-        command: true
+  stubInput: {
+    keyword: 'hint',
+    params: null,
+    message: {
+      operation: 'create',
+      model: {
+        id: '55b91175c35e438c74fc725c',
+        text: 'hint',
+        html: 'hint',
+        sent: '2015-07-29T17:46:29.190Z',
+        editedAt: null,
+        fromUser: [Object],
+        unread: true,
+        readBy: 0,
+        urls: [],
+        mentions: [],
+        issues: [],
+        meta: {},
+        v: 1
+      },
+      room: {
+        path: '/rooms',
+        id: '55b8fc980fc9f982beab6b19',
+        name: 'bothelp/bonfire-factorialize-a-number',
+        topic: '',
+        uri: 'bothelp/bonfire-factorialize-a-number',
+        oneToOne: false,
+        userCount: 3,
+        unreadItems: 9,
+        mentions: 0,
+        lastAccessTime: '2015-07-29T16:17:28.850Z',
+        lurk: false,
+        url: '/bothelp/bonfire-factorialize-a-number',
+        githubType: 'USER_CHANNEL',
+        security: 'PUBLIC',
+        noindex: false,
+        client: [Object],
+        faye: [Object],
+        _events: [Object]
+      }
     },
+    cleanText: 'hint',
+    command: true
+  },
 
-    mockInput: function(roomName) {
-        var input = {
-            message: {
-                room: {
-                    name: roomName
-                }
-            }
-        };
-        // clog(input);
-        return input;
-    },
+  mockInput: function(roomName) {
+    const input = {
+      message: {
+        room: {
+          name: roomName
+        }
+      }
+    };
 
-    // used for tests
-    // and also strings to commands
-    // https://developer.gitter.im/docs/messages-resource
-    // makeInputFromString: function (text) {
-    //     var message = {};
-    //     var model = {
-    //         text: text
-    //     };
-    //     message.model = model;
-    //     return message;
-    // },
+    return input;
+  },
 
-    makeInputFromString: function (text) {
-        var input = TestHelper.aboutInput;
-        input.message.model.text = text;    // initialize before parsing
-        //console.log("input1", input);
-        input = GBot.parseInput(input.message);  // add keywords etc.
-        //console.log("input2", input);
-        input.message.model.text = text;
-        input.message.model.fromUser = {
-            username: "testuser"
-        };
-        return input;
-    },
+  // used for tests
+  // and also strings to commands
+  // https://developer.gitter.im/docs/messages-resource
+  // makeInputFromString: function (text) {
+  //     var message = {};
+  //     var model = {
+  //         text: text
+  //     };
+  //     message.model = model;
+  //     return message;
+  // },
 
-    makeMessageFromString: function (text) {
-        var input = TestHelper.makeInputFromString(text);
-        return input.message;
-    }
+  makeInputFromString: function(text) {
+    let input = TestHelper.aboutInput;
+    // initialize before parsing
+    input.message.model.text = text;
+    // add keywords etc.
+    input = GBot.parseInput(input.message);
 
+    input.message.model.text = text;
+    input.message.model.fromUser = {
+      username: 'testuser'
+    };
+    return input;
+  },
 
+  makeMessageFromString: function(text) {
+    const input = TestHelper.makeInputFromString(text);
+    return input.message;
+  }
 };
 
-
-
 module.exports = TestHelper;
