diff --git a/commands.sh b/commands.sh
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 819970c..5b9fa33
--- a/commands.sh
+++ b/commands.sh
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-# Edit your commands in this file.
+# file: commands.sh
+# do not edit this file, instead place all your commands in mycommands.sh
 
 # This file is public domain in the USA and all free countries.
 # Elsewhere, consider it to be WTFPLv2. (wtfpl.net/txt/copying)
 #
-#### $$VERSION$$ v0.70-dev2-10-gfa9e879
+#### $$VERSION$$ v0.70-dev2-15-g03f22c9
 #
 # shellcheck disable=SC2154
 # shellcheck disable=SC2034
-SC2034="$CONTACT" # mute CONTACT not used ;-)
 
 # adjust your language setting here, e.g.when run from other user or cron.
 # https://github.com/topkecleon/telegram-bot-bash#setting-up-your-environment
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@ unset IFS
 # set -f # if you are paranoid use set -f to disable globbing
 
 
+# to change the default info and help messages copy bashbot_info() and bahsbot_help()
+# to mycommands.sh and edit the messages there.
+
 if [ "$1" != "source" ]; then
-  # change Info anf Help to fit your needs
   bashbot_info() {
 	send_markdown_message "${1}" 'This is bashbot, the Telegram bot written entirely in bash.
 It features background tasks and interactive chats, and can serve as an interface for CLI programs.
@@ -42,16 +44,12 @@ Get the code in my [GitHub](http://github.com/topkecleon/telegram-bot-bash)
 '
   }
 
-# some handy shortcuts, e.g.:
-  _is_botadmin() {
-	user_is_botadmin "${USER[ID]}"
-  }
-  _is_admin() {
-	user_is_admin "${CHAT[ID]}" "${USER[ID]}"
-  }
-  _is_allowed() { # $1 = resource
-	user_is_allowed "${USER[ID]}" "$1" "${CHAT[ID]}"
-  }
+  # load additional modules
+  [ -r "modules/aliases.sh" ] && source "modules/aliases.sh" # some handy aliases, e.g. _is_admin and _message
+  # ...
+  # shellcheck source=./commands.sh
+  [ -r "mycommands.sh" ] && source "mycommands.sh"
+
 fi
 
 if [ "$1" = "source" ];then
@@ -96,33 +94,6 @@ else
 		fi &
 	fi
 	case "$MESSAGE" in
-		'/question')
-			checkproc 
-			if [ "$res" -gt 0 ] ; then
-				startproc "example/question"
-			else
-				send_normal_message "${CHAT[ID]}" "$MESSAGE already running ..."
-			fi
-			;;
-
-		'/run-notify') 
-			myback="notify"; checkback "$myback"
-			if [ "$res" -gt 0 ] ; then
-				background "example/notify 60" "$myback" # notify every 60 seconds
-			else
-				send_normal_message "${CHAT[ID]}" "Background command $myback already running ..."
-			fi
-			;;
-		'/stop-notify')
-			myback="notify"; checkback "$myback"
-			if [ "$res" -eq 0 ] ; then
-				killback "$myback"
-				send_normal_message "${CHAT[ID]}" "Background command $myback canceled."
-			else
-				send_normal_message "${CHAT[ID]}" "No background command $myback is currently running.."
-			fi
-			;;
-
 		################################################
 		# DEFAULT commands start here, edit messages only
 		'/info')
@@ -156,6 +127,7 @@ else
 			;;
 		*)	# forward input to interactive chat if running
 			if tmux ls | grep -v send | grep -q "$copname"; then inproc; fi
+			_is_function mycommands && mycommands
 			;;
 	esac
 fi
diff --git a/dev/make-dist.sh b/dev/make-dist.sh
index 9ef2619..f66d3ee 100755
--- a/dev/make-dist.sh
+++ b/dev/make-dist.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # this has to run once atfer git clone
 # and every time we create new hooks
-#### $$VERSION$$ v0.70-dev2-10-gfa9e879
+#### $$VERSION$$ v0.70-dev2-15-g03f22c9
 
 # magic to ensure that we're always inside the root of our application,
 # no matter from which directory we'll run script
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ VERSION="$(git describe --tags | sed -e 's/-.*//' -e 's/v//')"
 
 DISTNAME="telegram-bot-bash"
 DISTDIR="./dist/${DISTNAME}" 
-DISTFILES="bashbot.rc  bashbot.sh  commands.sh  doc  examples  LICENSE  README.md  README.txt"
+DISTFILES="bashbot.rc  bashbot.sh  commands.sh  mycommands.sh doc  examples modules LICENSE  README.md  README.txt"
 
 # run tests first!
 
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ cd "${DISTDIR}" || exit 1
 
 # additional stuff
 mv "commands.sh" "commands.sh.dist"
+mv "mycommands.sh" "mycommands.sh.dist"
 
 JSONSHFILE="JSON.sh/JSON.sh"
 if [ ! -f "${JSONSHFILE}" ]; then
@@ -49,8 +50,4 @@ tar -czf "${DISTNAME}-${VERSION}.tar.gz" "${DISTNAME}"
 # shellcheck disable=SC2086
 ls -ld ${DISTNAME}-${VERSION}.*
 
-# remove temporary dist dir
-cd "$GIT_DIR/.." || exit 1
-rm -rf ${DISTDIR}
-
 
diff --git a/modules/aliases.sh b/modules/aliases.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bf76c79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/aliases.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# file: modules/alaises.sh
+# do not edit, this file will be overwritten on update
+
+# This file is public domain in the USA and all free countries.
+# Elsewhere, consider it to be WTFPLv2. (wtfpl.net/txt/copying)
+#
+#### $$VERSION$$ v0.70-dev2-15-g03f22c9
+
+# source from commands.sh to use the aliases
+# some handy aliases for use when processing messages:
+_is_botadmin() {
+	user_is_botadmin "${USER[ID]}"
+}
+_is_admin() {
+	user_is_admin "${CHAT[ID]}" "${USER[ID]}"
+}
+_is_allowed() {
+	user_is_allowed "${USER[ID]}" "$1" "${CHAT[ID]}"
+}
+# same for easy sending messages of messages
+_message() {
+	send_normal_message "${CHAT[ID]}" "$1"
+}
+_normal_message() {
+	send_normal_message "${CHAT[ID]}" "$1"
+}
+_html_message() {
+	send_html_message "${CHAT[ID]}" "$1"
+}
+_markdown_message() {
+	send_markdown_message "${CHAT[ID]}" "$1"
+}
diff --git a/mycommands.sh b/mycommands.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9e6fd89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mycommands.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# files: mycommands.sh.dist
+# copy to mycommands.sh and add all your commands and functions here ...
+#
+#### $$VERSION$$ v0.70-dev2-15-g03f22c9
+#
+# shellcheck disable=SC2154
+# shellcheck disable=SC2034
+
+# your additional bahsbot commands
+mycommands() {
+
+	case "$MESSAGE" in
+		'/echo'*) # example echo command
+			send_normal_message "${CHAT[ID]}" "$MESSAGE"
+			;;
+		'/question') # start interactive questions
+			checkproc 
+			if [ "$res" -gt 0 ] ; then
+				startproc "example/question"
+			else
+				send_normal_message "${CHAT[ID]}" "$MESSAGE already running ..."
+			fi
+			;;
+
+		'/run-notify') # start notify background job
+			myback="notify"; checkback "$myback"
+			if [ "$res" -gt 0 ] ; then
+				background "example/notify 60" "$myback" # notify every 60 seconds
+			else
+				send_normal_message "${CHAT[ID]}" "Background command $myback already running ..."
+			fi
+			;;
+		'/stop-notify') # kill notify background job
+			myback="notify"; checkback "$myback"
+			if [ "$res" -eq 0 ] ; then
+				killback "$myback"
+				send_normal_message "${CHAT[ID]}" "Background command $myback canceled."
+			else
+				send_normal_message "${CHAT[ID]}" "No background command $myback is currently running.."
+			fi
+			;;
+
+	esac
+}
+
+# place your processing functions here