diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3a23e56..bded12d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ build/
 *.pyc
 *~
 venv/
+testing/
 padinfo.json
diff --git a/etherdump/commands/join.py b/etherdump/commands/join.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..90a531c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etherdump/commands/join.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+from argparse import ArgumentParser
+import json, os, re
+from urllib import urlencode
+from urllib2 import urlopen, HTTPError, URLError
+
+def group (items, key=lambda x: x):
+    ret = []
+    keys = {}
+    for item in items:
+        k = key(item)
+        if k not in keys:
+            keys[k] = []
+        keys[k].append(item)
+    for k in sorted(keys):
+        keys[k].sort()
+        ret.append(keys[k])
+    return ret
+
+def main(args):
+    p = ArgumentParser("")
+    p.add_argument("input", nargs="+", help="filenames")
+    args = p.parse_args(args)
+
+    inputs = args.input
+    inputs.sort()
+    def base (x):
+        return re.sub(r"(\.html)|(\.diff\.html)|(\.meta\.json)|(\.txt)$", "", x)
+    from pprint import pprint
+    pprint(group(inputs, base))
diff --git a/etherdump/commands/status.py b/etherdump/commands/status.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d95f09c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etherdump/commands/status.py
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+from __future__ import print_function
+from argparse import ArgumentParser
+import sys, json, re, os
+from datetime import datetime
+from urllib import urlencode
+from urllib2 import urlopen, HTTPError, URLError
+from math import ceil, floor
+from common import *
+
+"""
+status (meta):
+    Update meta data files for those that have changed.
+    Check for changed pads by looking at revisions & comparing to existing
+
+
+design decisions...
+ok based on the fact that only the txt file is pushable (via setText)
+it makes sense to give this file "primacy" ... ie to put the other forms
+(html, diff.html) in a special place (if created at all). Otherwise this
+complicates the "syncing" idea.... 
+
+"""
+
+class PadItemException (Exception):
+    pass
+
+class PadItem ():
+    def __init__ (self, padid=None, path=None, padexists=False):
+        self.padexists = padexists
+        if padid and path:
+            raise PadItemException("only give padid or path")
+        if not (padid or path):
+            raise PadItemException("either padid or path must be specified") 
+        if padid:
+            self.padid = padid
+            self.path = padpath(padid, group_path="g")
+        else:
+            self.path = path
+            self.padid = padpath2id(path)
+
+    @property
+    def status (self):
+        if self.fileexists:
+            if self.padexists:
+                return "S"
+            else:
+                return "F"
+        elif self.padexists:
+            return "P"
+        else:
+            return "?"
+
+    @property
+    def fileexists (self):
+        return os.path.exists(self.path)
+
+def ignore_p (path, settings=None):
+    if path.startswith("."):
+        return True
+
+def main (args):
+    p = ArgumentParser("Check for pads that have changed since last sync (according to .meta.json)")
+    # p.add_argument("padid", nargs="*", default=[])
+    p.add_argument("--padinfo", default=".etherdump/settings.json", help="settings, default: .etherdump/settings.json")
+    p.add_argument("--zerorevs", default=False, action="store_true", help="include pads with zero revisions, default: False (i.e. pads with no revisions are skipped)")
+    p.add_argument("--pub", default=".", help="folder to store files for public pads, default: pub")
+    p.add_argument("--group", default="g", help="folder to store files for group pads, default: g")
+    p.add_argument("--skip", default=None, type=int, help="skip this many items, default: None")
+    p.add_argument("--meta", default=False, action="store_true", help="download meta to PADID.meta.json, default: False")
+    p.add_argument("--text", default=False, action="store_true", help="download text to PADID.txt, default: False")
+    p.add_argument("--html", default=False, action="store_true", help="download html to PADID.html, default: False")
+    p.add_argument("--dhtml", default=False, action="store_true", help="download dhtml to PADID.dhtml, default: False")
+    p.add_argument("--all", default=False, action="store_true", help="download all files (meta, text, html, dhtml), default: False")
+    args = p.parse_args(args)
+
+    info = loadpadinfo(args.padinfo)
+    data = {}
+    data['apikey'] = info['apikey']
+
+    padsbypath = {}
+
+    # listAllPads
+    padids = getjson(info['apiurl']+'listAllPads?'+urlencode(data))['data']['padIDs']
+    padids.sort()
+    for padid in padids:
+        pad = PadItem(padid=padid, padexists=True)
+        padsbypath[pad.path] = pad
+
+    files = os.listdir(args.pub)
+    files = [x for x in files if not ignore_p(x)]
+    files.sort()
+    for p in files:
+        pad = padsbypath.get(p)
+        if not pad:
+            pad = PadItem(path=p)
+            padsbypath[pad.path] = pad
+
+    pads = padsbypath.values()
+    pads.sort(key=lambda x: (x.status, x.padid))
+
+    curstat = None
+    for p in pads:
+        if p.status != curstat:
+            curstat = p.status
+            if curstat == "F":
+                print ("New/changed files")
+            elif curstat == "P":
+                print ("New/changed pads")
+            elif curstat == ".":
+                print ("Up to date")
+        print ("   ", p.status, p.padid)