ZeroVerse 🌌

An anonymous social platform designed exclusively for college students to share experiences, confessions, and connect with peers in a safe, judgment-free space.

📑 Table of Contents

• Features
• Tech Stack
• Architecture
• AI Content Moderation
• Getting Started
• Environment Variables
• API Endpoints
• Security Features
• Contributing
• License

✨ Features

🎭 Anonymous Posting

• Share thoughts, experiences, and confessions completely anonymously
• Auto-generated unique aliases using intelligent name combinations (e.g., "Silent Panda", "Mystic Tiger")
• No personal information ever exposed to other users
• Choose from 6 categories: General, Hostel, Exams, Gossip, Placements, Confessions

🤖 AI-Powered Content Moderation

Leveraging Google Gemini 3 Flash AI, every confession is automatically analyzed through our intelligent Traffic Light System:

• 🟢 GREEN (Auto-Approve): Wholesome content, funny experiences, harmless confessions, study tips
• 🟡 YELLOW (Manual Review): Borderline content, sarcasm, controversial opinions requiring human judgment
• 🔴 RED (Auto-Reject): Hate speech, harassment, explicit content, threats, bullying, violence

AI Advantages:

• Real-time content analysis
• Context-aware moderation
• Reduces manual moderation workload by 80%
• Protects community safety 24/7

🔐 Secure OTP Authentication

• College Email Verification: Restricted to verified college emails (@nith.ac.in)
• 6-Digit OTP System:
  • Sent via Nodemailer email service
  • 10-minute validity period
  • Required for signup and password reset
• JWT Token Authentication: 30-day secure sessions
• Password Requirements:
  • Minimum 12 characters
  • Bcrypt hashing with salt rounds
• Forgot Password Flow: Complete OTP-based password reset

📱 Rich Media Support (Cloudinary)

• Image Uploads:
  • Automatic optimization
  • Multiple format support (JPG, PNG, GIF)
  • Cloudinary CDN for fast delivery
• Video Uploads:
  • Automatic transcoding
  • Streaming optimization
• Storage Management:
  • Automatic cleanup of unused media
  • Efficient CDN-based delivery

🏆 Leaderboard & Gamification

• Top contributors ranked by:
  • Total posts created
  • Total likes received
  • Community engagement score
• Anonymous competition without revealing identities

🎨 Modern UI/UX

• Dark mode optimized design
• Fully responsive layout (mobile, tablet, desktop)
• Smooth animations and transitions
• Real-time search functionality
• Category-based filtering
• Infinite scroll feed

👥 Social Features

• Like/Dislike system
• Comment on posts
• User profiles with statistics
• Visitor counter
• Real-time notifications

🛠 Tech Stack

Frontend

Technology	Purpose
Next.js 14	React framework with App Router
TailwindCSS	Utility-first CSS framework
Shadcn/ui	Beautiful component library
Lucide Icons	Modern icon set
Sonner	Toast notifications
Context API	State management

Backend

Technology	Purpose
Node.js & Express.js	Server framework
MongoDB & Mongoose	Database & ODM
JWT	Token-based authentication
Bcrypt.js	Password hashing
Multer	File upload middleware
Cloudinary SDK	Media storage & optimization
Nodemailer	Email service for OTP
Google Gemini AI	AI content moderation

🏗 Architecture

ZeroVerse/
│
├── client/                          # Frontend (Next.js)
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── app/                    # App Router pages
│   │   │   ├── page.js            # Home feed
│   │   │   ├── login/             # Login page
│   │   │   ├── signup/            # Signup + OTP verification
│   │   │   ├── forgot-password/   # Password reset with OTP
│   │   │   ├── create/            # Create post with media
│   │   │   ├── confess/           # Anonymous confession
│   │   │   ├── confessions/       # Confessions feed
│   │   │   ├── post/[id]/         # Single post view
│   │   │   ├── profile/           # User profile & stats
│   │   │   ├── settings/          # Account settings
│   │   │   └── about/             # About & guidelines
│   │   │
│   │   ├── components/
│   │   │   ├── ui/                # Shadcn components
│   │   │   ├── Navbar.jsx         # Navigation bar
│   │   │   ├── Sidebar.jsx        # Side navigation
│   │   │   ├── Leaderboard.jsx    # Top users
│   │   │   ├── ConfessionCard.jsx # Post card component
│   │   │   ├── Footer.jsx         # Footer component
│   │   │   └── VisitorCounter.jsx # Analytics
│   │   │
│   │   ├── contexts/
│   │   │   ├── AuthContext.js     # Authentication state
│   │   │   └── SearchContext.js   # Search state
│   │   │
│   │   └── lib/
│   │       ├── api.js             # API client
│   │       └── utils.js           # Utility functions
│   │
│   └── public/                     # Static assets
│
├── server/                          # Backend (Node.js)
│   ├── server.js                   # Express app entry
│   │
│   ├── config/
│   │   └── cloudinary.js          # Cloudinary configuration
│   │
│   ├── controllers/
│   │   ├── authController.js      # Auth logic (OTP, JWT)
│   │   ├── postController.js      # Post CRUD operations
│   │   └── confessionController.js # AI moderation logic
│   │
│   ├── middleware/
│   │   └── authMiddleware.js      # JWT verification
│   │
│   ├── models/
│   │   ├── User.js                # User schema
│   │   └── Post.js                # Post schema
│   │
│   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── authRoutes.js          # Auth endpoints
│   │   ├── postRoutes.js          # Post endpoints
│   │   └── confessionRoutes.js    # Confession endpoints
│   │
│   └── utils/
│       ├── aliasGenerator.js      # Anonymous name generator
│       └── emailService.js        # OTP email sender
│
└── README.md

🤖 AI Content Moderation

Traffic Light System

ZeroVerse uses Google Gemini 3 Flash AI to automatically moderate all confessions before they go live.

How It Works:

1. User submits confession → AI analysis triggered
2. Gemini AI analyzes content for:
   • Hate speech & discrimination
   • Explicit content
   • Harassment & bullying
   • Violence & threats
   • Context & intent
3. Classification:

   🟢 GREEN → Auto-approve & publish
   🟡 YELLOW → Queue for manual review
   🔴 RED → Auto-reject with feedback

Example Classifications:

🟢 GREEN Examples:

• "I finally aced my data structures exam!"
• "Anyone else think the hostel food is getting better?"
• "Shoutout to the library staff for being awesome"

🟡 YELLOW Examples:

• "The new attendance policy is ridiculous"
• "Why do some professors have favorites?"
• "Controversial opinion: [borderline topic]"

🔴 RED Examples:

• Any content containing hate speech
• Explicit sexual content
• Personal attacks or doxxing
• Threats or violence

Benefits:

• ⚡ Instant moderation - No waiting for manual approval
• 🛡️ 24/7 protection - AI never sleeps
• 🎯 Accuracy - Context-aware decisions
• 📊 Scalable - Handles unlimited submissions

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ and npm
• MongoDB (local or Atlas)
• Cloudinary account
• Gmail account (for OTP emails)
• Google AI Studio API key (Gemini)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/zeroverse.git
cd zeroverse

2. Install dependencies

For the client:

cd client
npm install

For the server:

cd server
npm install

3. Set up environment variables (see next section)

4. Start MongoDB

# If using local MongoDB
mongod

5. Run the development servers

Terminal 1 (Backend):

cd server
npm start

Terminal 2 (Frontend):

cd client
npm run dev

6. Access the application

• Frontend: http://localhost:3000
• Backend API: http://localhost:5000

🔐 Environment Variables

Client (.env.local)

Create client/.env.local:

NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:5000

Server (.env)

Create server/.env:

# MongoDB
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/zeroverse
# or MongoDB Atlas:
# MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/zeroverse

# JWT Secret
JWT_SECRET=your-super-secret-jwt-key-change-this-in-production

# Email Service (Nodemailer with Gmail)
EMAIL_USER=your-email@gmail.com
EMAIL_PASS=your-app-specific-password
# Get app password: https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords

# Cloudinary
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your-cloud-name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your-api-key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your-api-secret
# Get from: https://cloudinary.com/console

# Google Gemini AI
GEMINI_API_KEY=your-gemini-api-key
# Get from: https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey

# Server
PORT=5000
NODE_ENV=development

# College Email Domain (for validation)
ALLOWED_EMAIL_DOMAIN=@nith.ac.in

Getting API Keys:

Cloudinary:

1. Sign up at https://cloudinary.com
2. Go to Dashboard → API Keys
3. Copy Cloud Name, API Key, and API Secret

Gmail App Password:

1. Enable 2-Step Verification on your Google account
2. Go to https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords
3. Generate an app password for "Mail"
4. Use this password (not your regular password)

Google Gemini AI:

1. Visit https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey
2. Create a new API key
3. Copy the key to your .env file

📡 API Endpoints

Authentication

POST   /api/auth/signup              # Register with email
POST   /api/auth/verify-otp          # Verify OTP code
POST   /api/auth/login               # Login
POST   /api/auth/forgot-password     # Request password reset OTP
POST   /api/auth/reset-password      # Reset password with OTP
GET    /api/auth/me                  # Get current user
PUT    /api/auth/update-profile      # Update profile

Posts

GET    /api/posts                    # Get all posts (with pagination)
GET    /api/posts/:id                # Get single post
POST   /api/posts                    # Create post (with media)
PUT    /api/posts/:id                # Update post
DELETE /api/posts/:id                # Delete post
POST   /api/posts/:id/like           # Like post
POST   /api/posts/:id/comment        # Comment on post
GET    /api/posts/category/:category # Get posts by category
GET    /api/posts/search             # Search posts

Confessions

POST   /api/confessions              # Submit confession (AI moderation)
GET    /api/confessions/pending      # Get pending confessions (admin)
PUT    /api/confessions/:id/approve  # Approve confession (admin)
PUT    /api/confessions/:id/reject   # Reject confession (admin)

Leaderboard

GET    /api/leaderboard              # Get top users

🔒 Security Features

Authentication Security

• Bcrypt Password Hashing: Passwords hashed with 10 salt rounds
• JWT Tokens: 30-day expiration with secure signing
• OTP Verification: 10-minute expiry, one-time use
• Email Validation: College email domain restriction
• Rate Limiting: Prevents brute force attacks

Data Protection

• MongoDB Sanitization: Prevents NoSQL injection
• CORS Configuration: Restricted origins in production
• Helmet.js: Security headers (recommended)
• Input Validation: Server-side validation for all inputs

Privacy

• Anonymous Posting: No personal info in posts
• Alias System: Random generated names
• No IP Tracking: Users remain anonymous
• Secure File Upload: Cloudinary handles media securely

🎨 Key Features Deep Dive

OTP Authentication System

The OTP system ensures only verified college students can join:

1. User enters college email
2. 6-digit OTP generated and sent via Nodemailer
3. OTP stored in database with 10-minute expiry
4. User verifies OTP within time limit
5. Account activated, JWT token issued

Email Template: Professional HTML emails with OTP code

Cloudinary Integration

Media uploads are seamlessly handled:

1. User selects image/video
2. Multer processes upload
3. File sent to Cloudinary
4. Cloudinary returns optimized URL
5. URL stored in MongoDB
6. CDN delivers media globally

Benefits: Fast loading, automatic optimization, unlimited storage

AI Moderation Workflow

Every confession goes through:

1. Text submitted to Gemini AI API
2. AI analyzes sentiment, intent, and content
3. Returns classification: GREEN/YELLOW/RED
4. Backend processes based on classification
5. User receives instant feedback

Response Time: <2 seconds average

📊 Database Schema

User Model

{
  name: String,
  email: String (unique, college domain only),
  password: String (hashed),
  otp: String,
  otpExpiry: Date,
  isVerified: Boolean,
  alias: String (auto-generated),
  posts: [ObjectId],
  createdAt: Date,
  updatedAt: Date
}

Post Model

{
  title: String,
  content: String,
  category: Enum [General, Hostel, Exams, Gossip, Placements, Confessions],
  author: ObjectId (User),
  authorAlias: String,
  media: {
    url: String (Cloudinary URL),
    type: Enum [image, video]
  },
  likes: [ObjectId],
  dislikes: [ObjectId],
  comments: [{
    user: ObjectId,
    text: String,
    createdAt: Date
  }],
  isConfession: Boolean,
  moderationStatus: Enum [pending, approved, rejected],
  aiClassification: Enum [green, yellow, red],
  createdAt: Date,
  updatedAt: Date
}

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch

   git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature

3. Commit your changes

   git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature'

4. Push to the branch

   git push origin feature/AmazingFeature

5. Open a Pull Request

Development Guidelines

• Follow existing code style
• Write meaningful commit messages
• Test your changes thoroughly
• Update documentation as needed

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

OTP emails not sending:

• Verify Gmail app password is correct
• Check 2-step verification is enabled
• Ensure EMAIL_USER and EMAIL_PASS are set

Cloudinary uploads failing:

• Verify API credentials
• Check file size limits
• Ensure Cloudinary account is active

AI moderation not working:

• Verify GEMINI_API_KEY is valid
• Check API quota limits
• Ensure network connectivity

MongoDB connection errors:

• Check MongoDB is running
• Verify MONGODB_URI format
• Check network/firewall settings

📝 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

👥 Authors

• Abhinav Rajput - LinkedIn

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Google Gemini AI for content moderation
• Cloudinary for media management
• The open-source community
• All contributors and users

📧 Contact

For questions or support, reach out:

• Email: abh1nav.rj02@gmail.com
• GitHub Issues: Create an issue

---

Made with ❤️ for college students

Star ⭐ this repo if you find it useful!