diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e3d61be..726d581 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@ package-lock.json
 *.db
 config.json
 public/files
+certs/
+.vscode
diff --git a/db/actor.js b/db/actor.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6f0c13d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/actor.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+'use strict'
+
+module.exports = {
+
+}
diff --git a/db/index.js b/db/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..18f48d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+'use strict';
+// database interface
+module.exports = {
+  setup: require('./setup'),
+  actor: require('./actor'),
+//   stream: require('./stream'),
+}
diff --git a/db/setup.js b/db/setup.js
index 459cf72..2a31200 100644
--- a/db/setup.js
+++ b/db/setup.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-const utils = require('../utils')
-const crypto = require('crypto')
+const pub = require('../pub')
 
 module.exports = async function dbSetup (db, domain) {
     // inbox
@@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ module.exports = async function dbSetup (db, domain) {
     await db.collection('objects').createIndex({
         id: 1
     })
-    const dummyUser = await utils.createLocalActor('dummy', 'Person')
+    const dummyUser = await pub.actor.createLocalActor('dummy', 'Person')
     await db.collection('objects').findOneAndReplace(
         {preferredUsername: 'dummy'},
         dummyUser,
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 13d68dd..4b6b2a2 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -72,9 +72,6 @@ app.param('name', function (req, res, next, id) {
 app.get('/', (req, res) => res.send('Hello World!'));
 
 // admin page
-app.options('/api', cors());
-app.use('/api', cors(), routes.api);
-app.use('/api/admin', cors({ credentials: true, origin: true }), basicUserAuth, routes.admin);
 app.use('/.well-known/webfinger', cors(), routes.webfinger);
 app.use('/u', cors(), routes.user);
 app.use('/m', cors(), routes.message);
diff --git a/net/index.js b/net/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2fd4a7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/net/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+'use strict';
+// middleware and networking utils
+module.exports = {
+  validators: require('./validators'),
+//   comms: require('./comms'),
+};
diff --git a/utils/validators.js b/net/validators.js
similarity index 88%
rename from utils/validators.js
rename to net/validators.js
index 3ce8014..e1325bb 100644
--- a/utils/validators.js
+++ b/net/validators.js
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 const {ObjectId} = require('mongodb') 
 // const activities = ['Create', ]
-const {ASContext} = require('./consts')
+const pub = require('../pub')
 
 function validateObject (object) {
     if (object && object.id) {
-        object['@context'] = object['@context'] || ASContext
+        object['@context'] = object['@context'] || pub.consts.ASContext
         return true
     }
 }
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ module.exports.outboxActivity = function outboxActivity (req, res, next) {
         const newID = new ObjectId()
         req.body = {
             _id: newID,
-            '@context': ASContext,
+            '@context': pub.consts.ASContext,
             type: 'Create',
             id: `https://${req.app.get('domain')}/o/${newID.toHexString()}`,
             actor: req.body.attributedTo,
diff --git a/pub/actor.js b/pub/actor.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2923814
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pub/actor.js
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+const crypto = require('crypto')
+const {promisify} = require('util')
+
+const pubUtils = require('./utils')
+const config = require('../config.json')
+
+const generateKeyPairPromise = promisify(crypto.generateKeyPair)
+
+module.exports = {
+    createLocalActor
+}
+
+function createLocalActor (name, type) {
+    return generateKeyPairPromise('rsa', {
+        modulusLength: 4096,
+        publicKeyEncoding: {
+            type: 'spki',
+            format: 'pem'
+        },
+        privateKeyEncoding: {
+            type: 'pkcs8',
+            format: 'pem',
+        }
+    }).then(pair => {
+        const actorBase = pubUtils.usernameToIRI(name);
+        return {
+            _meta: {
+                privateKey: pair.privateKey,
+            },
+            id: `${actorBase}`,
+            "type": type,
+            "following": `${actorBase}/following`,
+            "followers": `${actorBase}/followers`,
+            "liked": `${actorBase}/liked`,
+            "inbox": `${actorBase}/inbox`,
+            "outbox": `${actorBase}/outbox`,
+            "preferredUsername": name,
+            "name": "Dummy Person",
+            "summary": "Gotta have someone in the db",
+            "icon": `https://${config.DOMAIN}/f/${name}.png`,
+            publicKey: {
+                'id': `${actorBase}#main-key`,
+                'owner': `${actorBase}`,
+                'publicKeyPem': pair.publicKey
+            },
+        }
+    })
+}
diff --git a/pub/consts.js b/pub/consts.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11774f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pub/consts.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+module.exports = {
+    ASContext: 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pub/index.js b/pub/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6912b68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pub/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+'use strict';
+// ActivityPub / ActivityStreams utils
+module.exports = {
+    actor: require('./actor'),
+    utils: require('./utils'),
+    consts: require('./consts'),
+}
diff --git a/pub/utils.js b/pub/utils.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd76e07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pub/utils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+'use strict'
+const config = require('../config.json')
+const consts = require('./consts')
+
+module.exports = {
+    usernameToIRI,
+    toJSONLD,
+    arrayToCollection,
+    actorFromActivity,
+}
+
+function actorFromActivity (activity) {
+    if (Object.prototype.toString.call(activity.actor) === '[object String]') {
+        return activity.actor
+      }
+      if (activity.actor.type === 'Link') {
+        return activity.actor.href
+      }
+      return activity.actor.id
+}
+
+function arrayToCollection (arr, ordered) {
+
+    return {
+        '@context': consts.ASContext,
+        totalItems: arr.length,
+        type: ordered ? 'orderedCollection' : 'collection',
+        [ordered ? 'orderedItems' : 'items']: arr,
+    }
+}
+
+function toJSONLD (obj) {
+    obj['@context'] = obj['@context'] || consts.ASContext;
+    return obj;
+}
+
+function usernameToIRI (user) {
+    return `https://${config.DOMAIN}/u/${user}`
+}
diff --git a/routes/admin.js b/routes/admin.js
deleted file mode 100644
index bb8f38d..0000000
--- a/routes/admin.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,75 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-const express = require('express'),
-      router = express.Router(),
-      crypto = require('crypto');
-
-function createActor(name, domain, pubkey) {
-  return {
-    '@context': [
-      'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
-      'https://w3id.org/security/v1'
-    ],
-
-    'id': `https://${domain}/u/${name}`,
-    'type': 'Person',
-    'preferredUsername': `${name}`,
-    'inbox': `https://${domain}/api/inbox`,
-    'followers': `https://${domain}/u/${name}/followers`,
-
-    'publicKey': {
-      'id': `https://${domain}/u/${name}#main-key`,
-      'owner': `https://${domain}/u/${name}`,
-      'publicKeyPem': pubkey
-    }
-  };
-}
-
-function createWebfinger(name, domain) {
-  return {
-    'subject': `acct:${name}@${domain}`,
-
-    'links': [
-      {
-        'rel': 'self',
-        'type': 'application/activity+json',
-        'href': `https://${domain}/u/${name}`
-      }
-    ]
-  };
-}
-
-router.post('/create', function (req, res) {
-  // pass in a name for an account, if the account doesn't exist, create it!
-  const account = req.body.account;
-  if (account === undefined) {
-    return res.status(400).json({msg: 'Bad request. Please make sure "account" is a property in the POST body.'});
-  }
-  let db = req.app.get('db');
-  let domain = req.app.get('domain');
-  // create keypair
-  var pair = crypto.generateKeyPairSync('rsa', {
-    modulusLength: 4096,
-    publicKeyEncoding: {
-      type: 'spki',
-      format: 'pem'
-    },
-    privateKeyEncoding: {
-      type: 'pkcs8',
-      format: 'pem',
-      cipher: 'aes-256-cbc',
-      passphrase: 'top secret'
-    }
-  });
-  let actorRecord = createActor(account, domain, pair.publicKey);
-  let webfingerRecord = createWebfinger(account, domain);
-  const apikey = crypto.randomBytes(16).toString('hex');
-  try {
-    db.prepare('insert or replace into accounts(name, actor, apikey, pubkey, privkey, webfinger) values(?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)').run(`${account}@${domain}`, JSON.stringify(actorRecord), apikey, pair.publicKey, pair.privateKey, JSON.stringify(webfingerRecord));
-    res.status(200).json({msg: 'ok', apikey});
-  }
-  catch(e) {
-    res.status(200).json({error: e});
-  }
-});
-
-module.exports = router;
diff --git a/routes/api.js b/routes/api.js
deleted file mode 100644
index d80a474..0000000
--- a/routes/api.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,119 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-const express = require('express'),
-      router = express.Router(),
-      request = require('request'),
-      crypto = require('crypto');
-
-router.post('/sendMessage', function (req, res) {
-  let db = req.app.get('db');
-  let domain = req.app.get('domain');
-  let acct = req.body.acct;
-  let apikey = req.body.apikey;
-  let message = req.body.message;
-  // check to see if your API key matches
-  let result = db.prepare('select apikey from accounts where name = ?').get(`${acct}@${domain}`);
-  if (result.apikey === apikey) {
-    sendCreateMessage(message, acct, domain, req, res);
-  }
-  else {
-    res.status(403).json({msg: 'wrong api key'});
-  }
-});
-
-function signAndSend(message, name, domain, req, res, targetDomain, inbox) {
-  // get the private key
-  let db = req.app.get('db');
-  let inboxFragment = inbox.replace('https://'+targetDomain,'');
-  let result = db.prepare('select privkey from accounts where name = ?').get(`${name}@${domain}`);
-  if (result === undefined) {
-    console.log(`No record found for ${name}.`);
-  }
-  else {
-    let privkey = result.privkey;
-    const signer = crypto.createSign('sha256');
-    let d = new Date();
-    let stringToSign = `(request-target): post ${inboxFragment}\nhost: ${targetDomain}\ndate: ${d.toUTCString()}`;
-    signer.update(stringToSign);
-    signer.end();
-    const signature = signer.sign(privkey);
-    const signature_b64 = signature.toString('base64');
-    let header = `keyId="https://${domain}/u/${name}",headers="(request-target) host date",signature="${signature_b64}"`;
-    request({
-      url: inbox,
-      headers: {
-        'Host': targetDomain,
-        'Date': d.toUTCString(),
-        'Signature': header
-      },
-      method: 'POST',
-      json: true,
-      body: message
-    }, function (error, response){
-      console.log(`Sent message to an inbox at ${targetDomain}!`);
-      if (error) {
-        console.log('Error:', error, response);
-      }
-      else {
-        console.log('Response Status Code:', response.statusCode);
-      }
-    });
-  }
-}
-
-function createMessage(text, name, domain, req, res, follower) {
-  const guidCreate = crypto.randomBytes(16).toString('hex');
-  const guidNote = crypto.randomBytes(16).toString('hex');
-  let db = req.app.get('db');
-  let d = new Date();
-
-  let noteMessage = {
-    'id': `https://${domain}/m/${guidNote}`,
-    'type': 'Note',
-    'published': d.toISOString(),
-    'attributedTo': `https://${domain}/u/${name}`,
-    'content': text,
-    'to': ['https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public'],
-  };
-
-  let createMessage = {
-    '@context': 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
-
-    'id': `https://${domain}/m/${guidCreate}`,
-    'type': 'Create',
-    'actor': `https://${domain}/u/${name}`,
-    'to': ['https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public'],
-    'cc': [follower],
-
-    'object': noteMessage
-  };
-
-  db.prepare('insert or replace into messages(guid, message) values(?, ?)').run( guidCreate, JSON.stringify(createMessage));
-  db.prepare('insert or replace into messages(guid, message) values(?, ?)').run( guidNote, JSON.stringify(noteMessage));
-
-  return createMessage;
-}
-
-function sendCreateMessage(text, name, domain, req, res) {
-  let db = req.app.get('db');
-
-  let result = db.prepare('select followers from accounts where name = ?').get(`${name}@${domain}`);
-  let followers = JSON.parse(result.followers);
-  console.log(followers);
-  console.log('type',typeof followers);
-  if (followers === null) {
-    console.log('aaaa');
-    res.status(400).json({msg: `No followers for account ${name}@${domain}`});
-  }
-  else {
-    for (let follower of followers) {
-      let inbox = follower+'/inbox';
-      let myURL = new URL(follower);
-      let targetDomain = myURL.hostname;
-      let message = createMessage(text, name, domain, req, res, follower);
-      signAndSend(message, name, domain, req, res, targetDomain, inbox);
-    }
-    res.status(200).json({msg: 'ok'});
-  }
-}
-
-module.exports = router;
diff --git a/routes/inbox.js b/routes/inbox.js
index d7a0d59..5f0f2b4 100644
--- a/routes/inbox.js
+++ b/routes/inbox.js
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 const express = require('express')
 const router = express.Router()
 const utils = require('../utils')
+const pub = require('../pub')
+const net = require('../net')
 const request = require('request-promise-native')
 const httpSignature = require('http-signature')
 const {ObjectId} = require('mongodb')
 
-router.post('/', utils.validators.activity, function (req, res) {
+router.post('/', net.validators.activity, function (req, res) {
   const db = req.app.get('db');
   let outgoingResponse
-  req.body._meta = {_target: utils.usernameToIRI(req.user)}
+  req.body._meta = {_target: pub.utils.usernameToIRI(req.user)}
   // side effects
   switch(req.body.type) {
     case 'Accept':
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ router.post('/', utils.validators.activity, function (req, res) {
       Promise.all([
         utils.getOrCreateActor(req.user, db, true),
         request({
-          url: utils.actorFromActivity(req.body),
+          url: pub.utils.actorFromActivity(req.body),
           headers: {Accept: 'application/activity+json'},
           json: true,
         })
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ router.post('/', utils.validators.activity, function (req, res) {
               headers: ['(request-target)', 'host', 'date'],
             },
             json: true,
-            body: utils.toJSONLD({
+            body: pub.utils.toJSONLD({
               _id: newID,
               type: 'Accept',
               id: `https://${req.app.get('domain')}/o/${newID.toHexString()}`,
@@ -80,11 +82,11 @@ router.post('/', utils.validators.activity, function (req, res) {
 router.get('/', function (req, res) {
   const db = req.app.get('db');
   db.collection('streams')
-    .find({'_meta._target': utils.usernameToIRI(req.user)})
+    .find({'_meta._target': pub.utils.usernameToIRI(req.user)})
     .sort({_id: -1})
     .project({_id: 0, _meta: 0, '@context': 0, 'object._id': 0, 'object.@context': 0, 'object._meta': 0})
     .toArray()
-    .then(stream => res.json(utils.arrayToCollection(stream, true)))
+    .then(stream => res.json(pub.utils.arrayToCollection(stream, true)))
     .catch(err => {
       console.log(err)
       return res.status(500).send()
diff --git a/routes/index.js b/routes/index.js
index fec804c..1332fa0 100644
--- a/routes/index.js
+++ b/routes/index.js
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
 module.exports = {
-  api: require('./api'),
-  admin: require('./admin'),
   user: require('./user'),
   message: require('./message'),
   inbox: require('./inbox'),
diff --git a/routes/outbox.js b/routes/outbox.js
index 6eb81c3..30771ab 100644
--- a/routes/outbox.js
+++ b/routes/outbox.js
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 const express = require('express')
 const router = express.Router()
 const utils = require('../utils')
+const net = require('../net')
+const pub = require('../pub')
 
-router.post('/', utils.validators.outboxActivity, function (req, res) {
+router.post('/', net.validators.outboxActivity, function (req, res) {
   const db = req.app.get('db');
   Promise.all([
     db.collection('objects').insertOne(req.body.object),
@@ -17,11 +19,11 @@ router.post('/', utils.validators.outboxActivity, function (req, res) {
 router.get('/', function (req, res) {
   const db = req.app.get('db');
   db.collection('streams')
-    .find({actor: utils.usernameToIRI(req.user)})
+    .find({actor: pub.utils.usernameToIRI(req.user)})
     .sort({_id: -1})
     .project({_id: 0, _meta: 0, 'object._id': 0, 'object.@context': 0, 'object._meta': 0})
     .toArray()
-    .then(stream => res.json(utils.arrayToCollection(stream, true)))
+    .then(stream => res.json(pub.utils.arrayToCollection(stream, true)))
     .catch(err => {
       console.log(err)
       return res.status(500).send()
diff --git a/routes/user.js b/routes/user.js
index 6f76119..24fec37 100644
--- a/routes/user.js
+++ b/routes/user.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 const express = require('express'),
       router = express.Router();
 const utils = require('../utils')
-const {toJSONLD} = require('../utils/index.js');
+const pub = require('../pub')
 
 router.get('/:name', async function (req, res) {
   let name = req.params.name;
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ router.get('/:name', async function (req, res) {
     let db = req.app.get('db')
     const user = await utils.getOrCreateActor(name, db)
     if (user) {
-      return res.json(toJSONLD(user))
+      return res.json(pub.utils.toJSONLD(user))
     }
     return res.status(404).send('Person not found')
   }
@@ -28,13 +28,13 @@ router.get('/:name/followers', function (req, res) {
   db.collection('streams')
     .find({
       type: 'Follow',
-      '_meta._target': utils.usernameToIRI(name),
+      '_meta._target': pub.utils.usernameToIRI(name),
     })
     .project({_id: 0, actor: 1})
     .toArray()
     .then(follows => {
-      const followers = follows.map(utils.actorFromActivity)
-      return res.json(utils.arrayToCollection(followers))
+      const followers = follows.map(pub.utils.actorFromActivity)
+      return res.json(pub.utils.arrayToCollection(followers))
     })
     .catch(err => {
       console.log(err)
diff --git a/utils/consts.js b/utils/consts.js
index 0a2839e..631f375 100644
--- a/utils/consts.js
+++ b/utils/consts.js
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
 module.exports = {
-    ASContext: 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
 }
diff --git a/utils/db.js b/utils/db.js
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/utils/index.js b/utils/index.js
index be11f8d..d32dabc 100644
--- a/utils/index.js
+++ b/utils/index.js
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 const crypto = require('crypto')
 const {promisify} = require('util')
-const {ASContext} = require('./consts')
+const utils = require('../utils')
 const config = require('../config.json')
+const db = require('../db')
+const pub = require('../pub')
 
-module.exports.validators = require('./validators');
+module.exports.consts = require('./consts')
 
 function isObject(value) {
     return value && typeof value === 'object' && value.constructor === Object
@@ -20,68 +22,11 @@ function traverseObject(obj, f) {
     Object.keys(obj).forEach(traverse)
     return f(obj);
 }
-module.exports.toJSONLD = function (obj) {
-    obj['@context'] = obj['@context'] || ASContext;
-    return obj;
-}
 
-module.exports.arrayToCollection = function (arr, ordered) {
-
-    return {
-        '@context': ASContext,
-        totalItems: arr.length,
-        type: ordered ? 'orderedCollection' : 'collection',
-        [ordered ? 'orderedItems' : 'items']: arr,
-    }
-}
-
-function usernameToIRI (user) {
-    return `https://${config.DOMAIN}/u/${user}`
-}
-module.exports.usernameToIRI = usernameToIRI
-
-const generateKeyPairPromise = promisify(crypto.generateKeyPair)
-function createLocalActor (name, type) {
-    return generateKeyPairPromise('rsa', {
-        modulusLength: 4096,
-        publicKeyEncoding: {
-            type: 'spki',
-            format: 'pem'
-        },
-        privateKeyEncoding: {
-            type: 'pkcs8',
-            format: 'pem',
-        }
-    }).then(pair => {
-        const actorBase = usernameToIRI(name);
-        return {
-            _meta: {
-                privateKey: pair.privateKey,
-            },
-            id: `${actorBase}`,
-            "type": type,
-            "following": `${actorBase}/following`,
-            "followers": `${actorBase}/followers`,
-            "liked": `${actorBase}/liked`,
-            "inbox": `${actorBase}/inbox`,
-            "outbox": `${actorBase}/outbox`,
-            "preferredUsername": name,
-            "name": "Dummy Person",
-            "summary": "Gotta have someone in the db",
-            "icon": `https://${config.DOMAIN}/f/${name}.png`,
-            publicKey: {
-                'id': `${actorBase}#main-key`,
-                'owner': `${actorBase}`,
-                'publicKeyPem': pair.publicKey
-            },
-        }
-    })
-}
-module.exports.createLocalActor = createLocalActor
 const actorProj = {_id: 0, _meta: 0}
 const metaActorProj = {_id: 0}
 async function getOrCreateActor(preferredUsername, db, includeMeta) {
-    const id = usernameToIRI(preferredUsername)
+    const id = pub.utils.usernameToIRI(preferredUsername)
     let user = await db.collection('objects')
     .find({id: id})
     .limit(1)
@@ -92,7 +37,7 @@ async function getOrCreateActor(preferredUsername, db, includeMeta) {
         return user
     }
     // auto create groups whenever an unknown actor is referenced
-    user = await createLocalActor(preferredUsername, 'Group')
+    user = await pub.actor.createLocalActor(preferredUsername, 'Group')
     await db.collection('objects').insertOne(user)
     // only executed on success
     delete user._id
@@ -101,15 +46,4 @@ async function getOrCreateActor(preferredUsername, db, includeMeta) {
     }
     return user
 }
-module.exports.getOrCreateActor = getOrCreateActor
-
-function actorFromActivity (activity) {
-    if (Object.prototype.toString.call(activity.actor) === '[object String]') {
-        return activity.actor
-      }
-      if (activity.actor.type === 'Link') {
-        return activity.actor.href
-      }
-      return activity.actor.id
-}
-module.exports.actorFromActivity = actorFromActivity
\ No newline at end of file
+module.exports.getOrCreateActor = getOrCreateActor
\ No newline at end of file