diff --git a/node/server.js b/node/server.js
index 42f86daff..4f3ef9bad 100644
--- a/node/server.js
+++ b/node/server.js
@@ -68,8 +68,14 @@ exports.maxAge = 1000*60*60*6;
 log4js.setGlobalLogLevel(settings.loglevel);
 
 function init(additionalSetup){
- if("function" != typeof additionalSetup) additionalSetup = function(){};
-async.waterfall([
+  //additionalSetup is an optional argument that must be a function
+  //the purpose of additionalSetup is
+    //to allow whoever initializes the server to add functionality
+    //before the server begins listening
+  if("function" != typeof additionalSetup)
+    //the default value for initialSetup is a no-op
+    additionalSetup = function additionalSetup(app, db, managers, handlers){};
+ async.waterfall([
   //initalize the database
   function (callback)
   {
@@ -414,10 +420,13 @@ async.waterfall([
       });
     });
 
+    //additionalSetup is a hook for modifying the app before it begins listening
+    //some things such a hook might need are the app itself, the database, and any managers and handlers it might want to use
+    //rather than passing the managers and handlers one by one, each of those collections is passed as a dictionary
     additionalSetup(
       app, db,
       {
-        ro: readOnlyManager,
+        "ro": readOnlyManager,
         pad: padManager,
         security: securityManager
       },