chandula00 · Oct 28, 2026 · Oct 28, 2026 · Oct 28, 2026
diff --git a/astro.config.mjs b/astro.config.mjs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import tailwindcss from "@tailwindcss/vite";
 import remarkMath from 'remark-math';
 import rehypeKatex from 'rehype-katex';
 import mdx from "@astrojs/mdx";
+import rehypeExternalLinks from "rehype-external-links";
 import sitemap from "@astrojs/sitemap";
 import icon from "astro-icon";
 import path from "node:path";
@@ -41,7 +42,17 @@ export default defineConfig({
   },
 
   integrations: [
-    mdx(),
+    // MDX is only used by the /docs guides: links to GitHub and other sites open in a new tab
+    // (announced to screen readers), so the guide stays open beside the file being edited.
+    mdx({
+      rehypePlugins: [
+        [rehypeExternalLinks, {
+          target: '_blank',
+          rel: ['noopener'],
+          content: { type: 'element', tagName: 'span', properties: { className: ['sr-only'] }, children: [{ type: 'text', value: ' (opens in a new tab)' }] },
+        }],
+      ],
+    }),
     preact(),
     icon(),
     sitemap({

diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
     "daisyui": "^5.5.14",
     "katex": "^0.16.47",
     "preact": "^10.28.1",
+    "rehype-external-links": "^3.0.0",
     "rehype-katex": "^7.0.1",
     "remark-math": "^6.0.0",
     "tailwindcss": "^4.1.18"

diff --git a/src/components/ProfileFormLink.astro b/src/components/ProfileFormLink.astro
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+---
+// "Use the profile form" box for the documentation guides (forms.profile in src/data/site.ts).
+import Button from "./ui/Button.astro";
+import Icon from "./ui/Icon.astro";
+import Todo from "./ui/Todo.astro";
+import { forms, site } from "../data/site";
+---
+
+<div class="form-link surface-tonal not-prose">
+    <span class="form-link__icon"><Icon name="material-symbols:assignment-outline" /></span>
+    <div class="flex-1">
+        <p class="form-link__title">No GitHub account needed</p>
+        <p class="mt-1 text-[0.9375rem]">
+            {
+                forms.profile ? (
+                    "Add or update your profile, photo and projects with one form."
+                ) : (
+                    <>
+                        Ask the MARC website maintainers for the profile form link at{" "}
+                        <a href={`mailto:${site.email}?subject=${encodeURIComponent("Profile form link")}`} class="text-primary underline">
+                            {site.email}
+                        </a>
+                        .
+                    </>
+                )
+            }
+        </p>
+    </div>
+    {
+        forms.profile && (
+            <Button href={forms.profile} external icon="material-symbols:arrow-outward">
+                Open the profile form
+            </Button>
+        )
+    }
+</div>
+{!forms.profile && <Todo>Set forms.profile in src/data/site.ts to the form's share link (marc_people/google-form/README.md, step 7).</Todo>}
+
+<style>
+    .form-link {
+        display: flex;
+        flex-wrap: wrap;
+        align-items: center;
+        gap: 1rem 1.25rem;
+        margin: 1.5rem 0;
+        padding: 1.25rem 1.5rem;
+    }
+    .form-link__icon {
+        display: grid;
+        place-items: center;
+        flex: none;
+        width: 44px;
+        height: 44px;
+        border-radius: 50%;
+        background: var(--color-base-100);
+        color: var(--color-primary);
+    }
+    .form-link__icon :global(svg) {
+        width: 1.375rem;
+        height: 1.375rem;
+    }
+    .form-link__title {
+        font-family: var(--font-head);
+        font-weight: 600;
+        color: var(--color-heading);
+    }
+</style>
diff --git a/src/data/site.ts b/src/data/site.ts
@@ -130,8 +130,14 @@ export const contentRepos = {
     website: "https://github.com/pdnMARC/pdnmarc.github.io",
 };
 
+// Google Forms used by the documentation. Set `profile` to the form's share link once it exists
+// (marc_people/google-form/README.md, step 7); until then the guides ask people to contact MARC.
+export const forms = {
+    profile: "https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXOCqNmVEKqgairmF4IRnbU388iqUDekWeDIOYbHRi7tNWUQ/viewform" as string | null,
+};
+
 export const docs = [
-    { href: "/docs/profiles/", label: "People profiles", icon: "material-symbols:person-outline", text: "Add yourself or update your photo, role and biography." },
+    { href: "/docs/profiles/", label: "People profiles", icon: "material-symbols:person-outline", text: "Use the profile form, or edit on GitHub: photo, role, biography and links." },
     { href: "/docs/projects/", label: "Projects", icon: "material-symbols:science-outline", text: "Add a project, its team, cover image and description." },
     { href: "/docs/news/", label: "News & vacancies", icon: "material-symbols:newspaper", text: "Post a news article, a vacancy with a deadline, or a social feed item." },
     { href: "/docs/publications/", label: "Publications", icon: "material-symbols:menu-book-outline", text: "Add papers to the publications sheet and link them to projects and people." },

diff --git a/src/layouts/DocsLayout.astro b/src/layouts/DocsLayout.astro
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ const current = Astro.url.pathname.replace(/\/?$/, "/");
     </div>
 </BaseLayout>
 
+<script>
+    import "../scripts/copy-code";
+</script>
+
 <style>
     .docs {
         display: grid;
@@ -113,4 +117,60 @@ const current = Astro.url.pathname.replace(/\/?$/, "/");
         display: block;
         overflow-x: auto;
     }
+
+    /* Links that leave the site (GitHub etc.) open in a new tab: mark them with ↗ (astro.config.mjs). */
+    .docs__body :global(a[target="_blank"])::after {
+        content: "";
+        display: inline-block;
+        width: 0.75em;
+        height: 0.75em;
+        margin-left: 0.15em;
+        vertical-align: 0.05em;
+        background: currentColor;
+        mask: url("data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 24 24'%3E%3Cpath d='M6.4 18L5 16.6L14.6 7H6V5h12v12h-2V8.4z'/%3E%3C/svg%3E") center / contain no-repeat;
+    }
+
+    /* Copy button on code blocks (src/scripts/copy-code.ts). Code blocks use a dark theme in both modes. */
+    .docs__body :global(.code-copy) {
+        position: relative;
+    }
+    .docs__body :global(.code-copy pre) {
+        padding-right: 6.5rem;
+    }
+    .docs__body :global(.code-copy__btn) {
+        position: absolute;
+        top: 0.5rem;
+        right: 0.5rem;
+        display: inline-flex;
+        align-items: center;
+        gap: 0.375rem;
+        min-height: 32px;
+        padding: 0 0.75rem;
+        border-radius: 999px;
+        border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25);
+        background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.08);
+        color: #e6edf3;
+        font-family: var(--font-sans);
+        font-size: 0.8125rem;
+        font-weight: 500;
+        cursor: pointer;
+        transition:
+            background-color var(--t-fast),
+            border-color var(--t-fast);
+    }
+    .docs__body :global(.code-copy__btn:hover) {
+        background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.16);
+    }
+    .docs__body :global(.code-copy__btn:focus-visible) {
+        outline: 2px solid #fff;
+        outline-offset: 2px;
+    }
+    .docs__body :global(.code-copy__btn.is-done) {
+        border-color: #7ee2a8;
+        color: #7ee2a8;
+    }
+    .docs__body :global(.code-copy__btn svg) {
+        width: 1rem;
+        height: 1rem;
+    }
 </style>
diff --git a/src/pages/docs/index.astro b/src/pages/docs/index.astro
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import Icon from "../../components/ui/Icon.astro";
 import { docs, contentRepos, site } from "../../data/site";
 
 const where = [
-    { what: "People profiles", place: "marc_people repository, profiles/ folder", href: contentRepos.people, guide: "/docs/profiles/" },
+    { what: "People profiles", place: "Profile form, or marc_people repository, profiles/ folder", href: contentRepos.people, guide: "/docs/profiles/" },
     { what: "Projects", place: "marc_projects repository, projects/ folder", href: contentRepos.projects, guide: "/docs/projects/" },
     { what: "News articles and vacancies", place: "marc_news repository, articles/ folder", href: contentRepos.news, guide: "/docs/news/" },
     { what: "Social feed items", place: "Website data Google Sheet, News tab", guide: "/docs/news/#social-feed-items" },
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ const tasks = [
     {
         title: "A new member joins MARC and a project",
         steps: [
-            { where: "marc_people", href: "/docs/profiles/#add-a-new-profile", text: "add their profile, with their email and name, plus any other addresses (otherEmails) and the forms of their name used in their papers (otherNames)." },
-            { where: "marc_projects", href: "/docs/profiles/#add-yourself-to-your-projects", text: "add the same email to each project they work on." },
+            { where: "Profile form", href: "/docs/profiles/#use-the-profile-form", text: "they fill it in once: profile, photo, other emails and names, and the projects they work on." },
+            { where: "Or on GitHub", href: "/docs/profiles/#add-a-new-profile", text: "add the profile in marc_people and their email to each project file in marc_projects." },
             { where: "Their papers", href: "/docs/publications/#linking-papers-to-people", text: "check each paper appears on their profile; if not, add the author-list form of their name to otherNames." },
         ],
     },
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@ const tasks = [
     {
         title: "Someone's email address changes",
         steps: [
-            { where: "marc_people", href: "/docs/profiles/#changing-your-email-or-name", text: "put the new address in email and move the old one to otherEmails. Project files stay as they are." },
+            { where: "Profile form", href: "/docs/profiles/#use-the-profile-form", text: "enter the new address under Other email addresses. Project files stay as they are." },
         ],
     },
     {
         title: "Someone leaves MARC",
         steps: [
-            { where: "marc_people", href: "/docs/profiles/#when-you-leave-marc", text: "set status: past and, if known, currentPosition. Don't delete the profile." },
+            { where: "Profile form", href: "/docs/profiles/#use-the-profile-form", text: "choose Past member and say where they are now (or set status: past on GitHub). Don't delete the profile." },
             { where: "marc_projects", href: "/docs/profiles/#when-you-leave-marc", text: "nothing to change: they stay on their projects, marked as a past member." },
         ],
     },

diff --git a/src/pages/docs/profiles.mdx b/src/pages/docs/profiles.mdx
@@ -5,10 +5,34 @@ description: Add yourself to the People page, or update your photo, role and bio
 ---
 
 import Callout from "../../components/ui/Callout.astro";
+import ProfileFormLink from "../../components/ProfileFormLink.astro";
 
-Each person at MARC keeps their own profile up to date. Profiles live in the
-[marc_people repository](https://github.com/pdnMARC/marc_people) on GitHub: one Markdown file per person
-in the `profiles/` folder, with photos in `profiles/photos/`.
+Each person at MARC keeps their own profile up to date, either with the **profile form** (no GitHub
+account needed) or by editing it on GitHub.
+
+## Use the profile form
+
+<ProfileFormLink />
+
+The form adds a new profile or updates yours, and keeps every link intact:
+
+- **Updating?** Fill in only what should change. Blank answers keep what is already there.
+- **Other email addresses and other forms of your name** are added to your profile, never removed, so
+  projects and papers that use them stay linked to you.
+- **Photo:** upload a JPG, PNG or WebP image. It is resized and its camera and location data removed.
+- **Projects:** tick the projects you work on and you are added to their teams.
+- **Leaving MARC?** Choose *Past member* and say where you are now.
+
+Every night at midnight (Sri Lanka time) your answers become a change request. It goes live once a MARC
+maintainer approves it. If something can't be used, for example an update from an address that is not in
+any profile, a maintainer will be in touch.
+
+The rest of this guide is for editing on GitHub, and explains what each field means.
+
+## Edit on GitHub
+
+Profiles live in the [marc_people repository](https://github.com/pdnMARC/marc_people) on GitHub: one
+Markdown file per person in the `profiles/` folder, with photos in `profiles/photos/`.
 
 ```text
 marc_people/

diff --git a/src/pages/docs/site.mdx b/src/pages/docs/site.mdx
@@ -26,6 +26,24 @@ A few values here point at content in the other repositories and must match it e
 
 </Callout>
 
+## Profile form
+
+MARC members can add or update their profile with a Google Form instead of GitHub. Every night at 00:00
+Sri Lanka time, the **Profile Form Sync** workflow in marc_people and in marc_projects reads the form's
+response sheet and opens pull requests:
+
+- in **marc_people**, one per response, with the new or updated profile and its photo;
+- in **marc_projects**, adding the person to the projects they ticked.
+
+Responses that can't be used become an issue instead. Each pull request lists what changed, who sent it
+and the validator result, with a short review checklist. **Merge** to publish or **close** to reject;
+a response is never proposed twice. To process new responses straight away, run the workflow from the
+repository's **Actions** tab.
+
+Setup (the form, sharing, the `GOOGLE_FORM_CSV_LINK` secret) and maintenance are described in
+[marc_people/google-form/README.md](https://github.com/pdnMARC/marc_people/blob/main/google-form/README.md).
+Once the form exists, put its share link in `forms.profile` in `src/data/site.ts` so the guides show it.
+
 ## Where things are
 
 | What | Where |

diff --git a/src/scripts/copy-code.ts b/src/scripts/copy-code.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+// "Copy" buttons for the code blocks in the documentation guides (DocsLayout). Folder trees
+// (```text) are left alone. Added by script, so without JavaScript the blocks are simply shown.
+const blocks = document.querySelectorAll<HTMLPreElement>(".docs__body pre[data-language]:not([data-language='text'])");
+
+async function copyText(text: string): Promise<boolean> {
+    try {
+        await navigator.clipboard.writeText(text);
+        return true;
+    } catch {
+        // Older browsers / insecure contexts: copy through a temporary selection.
+        const area = document.createElement("textarea");
+        area.value = text;
+        area.setAttribute("readonly", "");
+        area.style.position = "fixed";
+        area.style.opacity = "0";
+        document.body.append(area);
+        area.select();
+        const ok = document.execCommand("copy");
+        area.remove();
+        return ok;
+    }
+}
+
+blocks.forEach((pre) => {
+    const wrap = document.createElement("div");
+    wrap.className = "code-copy";
+    pre.before(wrap);
+    wrap.append(pre);
+
+    const button = document.createElement("button");
+    button.type = "button";
+    button.className = "code-copy__btn";
+    button.setAttribute("aria-label", "Copy code to clipboard");
+    button.innerHTML =
+        '<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-hidden="true"><path fill="currentColor" d="M9 18q-.825 0-1.412-.587T7 16V4q0-.825.588-1.412T9 2h9q.825 0 1.413.588T20 4v12q0 .825-.587 1.413T18 18zm0-2h9V4H9zm-4 6q-.825 0-1.412-.587T3 20V6h2v14h11v2zm4-6V4z"/></svg><span>Copy</span>';
+    const label = button.querySelector("span")!;
+    const status = document.createElement("span");
+    status.className = "sr-only";
+    status.setAttribute("role", "status");
+
+    let timer: number | undefined;
+    button.addEventListener("click", async () => {
+        const ok = await copyText(pre.querySelector("code")?.textContent ?? pre.textContent ?? "");
+        label.textContent = ok ? "Copied" : "Copy failed";
+        status.textContent = ok ? "Code copied to clipboard" : "Could not copy the code";
+        button.classList.toggle("is-done", ok);
+        window.clearTimeout(timer);
+        timer = window.setTimeout(() => {
+            label.textContent = "Copy";
+            status.textContent = "";
+            button.classList.remove("is-done");
+        }, 2000);
+    });
+    wrap.append(button, status);
+});