diff --git a/hyde/generator.py b/hyde/generator.py
index 2197048..5b6d64f 100644
--- a/hyde/generator.py
+++ b/hyde/generator.py
@@ -50,15 +50,15 @@ class Generator(object):
             logger.info("Configuring the template environment")
             self.template.configure(self.site.config)
 
-    def rebuild_if_needed(self):
+    def reload_if_needed(self):
         """
-        Checks if the site requries a rebuild and builds if
+        Checks if the site requries a reload and loads if
         necessary.
         """
         #TODO: Perhaps this is better suited in Site
         if not len(self.site.content.child_nodes):
             logger.info("Reading site contents")
-            self.site.build()
+            self.site.load()
 
     def generate_all(self):
         """
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class Generator(object):
         """
         logger.info("Reading site contents")
         self.initialize_template_if_needed()
-        self.rebuild_if_needed()
+        self.reload_if_needed()
 
         logger.info("Generating site to [%s]" %
                         self.site.config.deploy_root_path)
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ class Generator(object):
         generates the entire site.
         """
         self.initialize_template_if_needed()
-        self.rebuild_if_needed()
+        self.reload_if_needed()
         node = None
         if node_path:
             node = self.site.content.node_from_path(node_path)
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class Generator(object):
         non-existent, generates the entire website.
         """
         self.initialize_template_if_needed()
-        self.rebuild_if_needed()
+        self.reload_if_needed()
         if not node:
             return self.generate_all()
         try:
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class Generator(object):
         generats the entire website.
         """
         self.initialize_template_if_needed()
-        self.rebuild_if_needed()
+        self.reload_if_needed()
         resource = None
         if resource_path:
             resource = self.site.content.resource_from_path(resource_path)
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ class Generator(object):
         non-existent, generates the entire website.
         """
         self.initialize_template_if_needed()
-        self.rebuild_if_needed()
+        self.reload_if_needed()
         if not resource:
             return self.generate_all()
         try:
diff --git a/hyde/layout.py b/hyde/layout.py
index b36d5d4..37f9852 100644
--- a/hyde/layout.py
+++ b/hyde/layout.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class Layout(object):
     """
 
     @staticmethod
-    def find_layout(layout_name="basic"):
+    def find_layout(layout_name='basic'):
         """
         Find the layout with a given name.
         Search order:
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class Layout(object):
         return layout_folder
 
     @staticmethod
-    def _get_layout_folder(root, layout_name="basic"):
+    def _get_layout_folder(root, layout_name='basic'):
         """
         Finds the layout folder from the given root folder.
         If it does not exist, return None
diff --git a/hyde/plugin.py b/hyde/plugin.py
index 9017a5b..63daa43 100644
--- a/hyde/plugin.py
+++ b/hyde/plugin.py
@@ -1,5 +1,78 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-# 1. start_node
-# 2. start_resource
-# 3. end_resource
-# 4. end_node
+"""
+Contains definition for a plugin protocol and other utiltities.
+"""
+
+
+class Plugin(object):
+    """
+    The plugin protocol
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, site):
+        super(Plugin, self).__init__()
+        self.site = site
+
+    def template_loaded(self, template):
+        """
+        Called when the template for the site has been identified.
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def prepare_site(self):
+        """
+        Called when generation is about to take place.
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def site_load_complete(self):
+        """
+        Called when the site is built complete. This implies that all the
+        nodes and resources have been identified and are accessible in the
+        site variable.
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def prepare_node(self, node):
+        """
+        Called when a node is about to be processed for generation.
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def prepare_resource(self, resource, text):
+        """
+        Called when a resource is about to be processed for generation.
+        The `text` parameter contains the, resource text at this point
+        in its lifecycle. It is the text that has been loaded and any
+        plugins that are higher in the order may have tampered with it.
+        But the text has not been processed by the template yet.
+
+        If this function returns a value, it is used as the text for further
+        processing.
+        """
+        return text
+
+    def process_resource(self, resource, text):
+        """
+        Called when a resource has been processed by the template.
+        The `text` parameter contains the, resource text at this point
+        in its lifecycle. It is the text that has been processed by the
+        template and any plugins that are higher in the order may have
+        tampered with it.
+
+        If this function returns a value, it is used as the text for further
+        processing.
+        """
+        return text
+
+    def node_complete(self, node):
+        """
+        Called when all the resources in the node have been processed.
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def site_complete(self):
+        """
+        Called when the entire site has been processed.
+        """
+        pass
diff --git a/hyde/site.py b/hyde/site.py
index aef38f2..703d60b 100644
--- a/hyde/site.py
+++ b/hyde/site.py
@@ -243,9 +243,9 @@ class RootNode(Node):
                     (resource.relative_path, self.source_folder))
         return resource
 
-    def build(self):
+    def load(self):
         """
-        Walks the `source_folder` and builds the sitemap.
+        Walks the `source_folder` and loads the sitemap.
         Creates nodes and resources, reads metadata and injects attributes.
         This is the model for hyde.
         """
@@ -276,9 +276,9 @@ class Site(object):
         self.config = config if config else Config(self.sitepath)
         self.content = RootNode(self.config.content_root_path, self)
 
-    def build(self):
+    def load(self):
         """
-        Walks the content and media folders to build up the sitemap.
+        Walks the content and media folders to load up the sitemap.
         """
 
-        self.content.build()
+        self.content.load()
diff --git a/hyde/tests/test_generate.py b/hyde/tests/test_generate.py
index 69a2fdd..db87a20 100644
--- a/hyde/tests/test_generate.py
+++ b/hyde/tests/test_generate.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def delete_test_site():
 @with_setup(create_test_site, delete_test_site)
 def test_generate_resource_from_path():
     site = Site(TEST_SITE)
-    site.build()
+    site.load()
     gen = Generator(site)
     gen.generate_resource_at_path(TEST_SITE.child('content/about.html'))
     about = File(Folder(site.config.deploy_root_path).child('about.html'))
diff --git a/hyde/tests/test_site.py b/hyde/tests/test_site.py
index 404551a..9581955 100644
--- a/hyde/tests/test_site.py
+++ b/hyde/tests/test_site.py
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@ def test_node_relative_path():
     c = r.add_node(TEST_SITE_ROOT.child_folder('content/blog/2010/december'))
     assert c.relative_path == 'blog/2010/december'
 
-def test_build():
+def test_load():
     s = Site(TEST_SITE_ROOT)
-    s.build()
+    s.load()
     path = 'blog/2010/december'
     node = s.content.node_from_relative_path(path)
     assert node
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def test_build():
 
 def test_walk_resources():
     s = Site(TEST_SITE_ROOT)
-    s.build()
+    s.load()
     pages = [page.name for page in s.content.walk_resources()]
     expected = ["404.html",
                 "about.html",
@@ -98,9 +98,9 @@ class TestSiteWithConfig(object):
     def teardown_class(cls):
         cls.SITE_PATH.delete()
 
-    def test_build_with_config(self):
+    def test_load_with_config(self):
         s = Site(self.SITE_PATH, config = self.config)
-        s.build()
+        s.load()
         path = 'blog/2010/december'
         node = s.content.node_from_relative_path(path)
         assert node