I wanted to use GitHub Gists which are a wonderfully low friction way of sharing code

When you email me, please include a minimal bash script that demonstrates the problem in the body of the email (not as an attachment). Also very clearly state what the desired output or effect should be, and what error or failure you are getting instead. You are much more likely to get a response if your script isn't some giant monster with obtuse identifiers that I would have to spend all afternoon parsing.