diff --git a/tildewiki/main.py b/tildewiki/main.py
index 65ece55..cc4c343 100644
--- a/tildewiki/main.py
+++ b/tildewiki/main.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """TODO"""
 import os
+import re
 import sys
 from os.path import expanduser
 from os.path import exists as path_exists
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ import click
 import pygit2
 from click import ClickException
 from click.types import Path
+from markdown import markdown
 
 # TODO support reading from env
 SITE_NAME = 'tilde.town'
@@ -17,6 +19,7 @@ PREVIEW_PATH = expanduser('~/public_html/wiki')
 LOCAL_REPOSITORY_PATH = expanduser('~/wiki')
 REPOSITORY_PATH = '/wiki'
 
+DOUBLE_NEWLINE_RE = re.compile(r'\n\n', flags=re.MULTILINE|re.DOTALL)
 DEFAULT_PATH_KWARGS = dict(
     exists=True,
     writable=True,
@@ -104,10 +107,13 @@ def init(config, local_repo_path, preview_path):
         raise ClickException(
             '{} already exists. Have you already run wiki init?'.format(
                 preview_path))
-    pygit2.clone_repository(
-        config.repo_path,
-        local_repo_path
-    )
+    click.echo('Cloning {} to {}...'.format(config.repo_path, local_repo_path))
+    pygit2.clone_repository(config.repo_path, local_repo_path)
+    click.echo('Creating {}...'.format(preview_path))
+    os.makedirs(preview_path)
+    click.echo('TODO once we have compliation, this will compile')
+    click.echo('~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~')
+    click.echo("Congrats, you are ready to contribute to {}'s wiki!")
 
 @main.command()
 @click.option('--local-repo-path',
@@ -119,8 +125,13 @@ def init(config, local_repo_path, preview_path):
               help='Local path to wiki for previewing.',
               type=Path(**DEFAULT_PATH_KWARGS))
 @pass_config
-def preview(config, local_repo_path):
-    raise NotImplementedError()
+def preview(config, preview_path, local_repo_path):
+    preview_prompt = 'This will wipe everything at {}. Proceed?'
+    click.confirm(
+        preview_prompt.format(preview_path),
+        abort=True)
+    compile_wiki(local_repo_path, preview_path)
+    # TODO print some stuff about what just happend
 
 @main.command()
 @click.option('--local-repo-path',
@@ -144,3 +155,82 @@ def get(config):
 @pass_config
 def reset(config, local_repo_path):
     raise NotImplementedError()
+
+
+def compile_wiki(source_path, dest_path):
+    """Given a source path (presumably a git repository) and a destination
+    path, compiles the files found in {source_path}/articles and compiles them all
+    to {dest_path}/.
+
+    THIS FUNCTION CLEARS {dest_path}/!
+
+    Be absolutely sure you know what you are doing when you call this ^_^
+    """
+    # TODO progress bar
+    # TODO recursively delete dest_path (maybe after gzipping, backing up)
+    # TODO lockfile on dest_path
+
+    articles_root = path_join(source_path, 'src/articles')
+
+    for root, dirs, files in os.walk(articles_root):
+        # given root, i need to "diff" it against articles_root to get whatever
+        # point i should be at in preview_root.
+        current_suffix = root.replace(articles_root, '')
+        if current_suffix and current_suffix[0] == '/':
+            current_suffix = current_suffix[1:]
+        preview_root = path_join(dest_path, current_suffix)
+
+        for directory in dirs:
+            os.mkdir(path_join(preview_root, directory))
+
+        for source_filename in files:
+            source_file_path = path_join(root, source_filename)
+            output = compile_source_file(source_file_path)
+            dest_filename = source_filename.split('.')[0] + '.html'
+            with open(path_join(preview_root, dest_filename), 'w') as f:
+                f.write(output)
+
+def slurp(file_path):
+    content = None
+    with open(file_path, 'r') as f:
+        content = f.read()
+    return content
+
+def compile_source_file(source_file_path):
+    if not os.path.isabs(source_file_path):
+        raise ValueError(
+            '{} is not an absolute path.'.format(source_file_path))
+
+    compiler = None
+    if source_file_path.endswith('.md'):
+        compiler = compile_markdown
+    elif source_file_path.endswith('.txt'):
+        compiler = compile_plaintext
+    elif source_file_path.endswith('.html'):
+        compiler = slurp
+
+    if compiler is None:
+        raise ValueError(
+            '{} is not a recognized file type.'.format(source_file_path))
+
+    content = compiler(source_file_path)
+
+    # TODO wrap content with header/footer
+    # TODO regenerate sitemap? might be error in rfc here
+
+    return content
+
+def compile_markdown(source_file_path):
+    return markdown(
+        slurp(source_file_path),
+        output_format='html5')
+
+def compile_plaintext(source_file_path):
+    output = '<p>\n'
+    output += re.sub(
+        DOUBLE_NEWLINE_RE,
+        '</p><p>',
+        slurp(source_file_path))
+    output += '\n</p>\n'
+    return output
+