Random thread picker
 

I thought that it would be interesting to read some of the old threads, but don't really have time to read very many. I wanted something that would encourage me to read threads in forums that I don't normally even enter. To assist in this, I've created an Excel spreadsheet that randomly picks one forum from the list of 18, then randomly picks one thread from all of the available threads for that forum. The object is that I'll run it once a day and read the thread that falls at that number. I have the default thread display order, which is reverse chronological.

For example, the spreadsheet is currently choosing "Forum: Home Base, thread: 319." If I've counted correctly, this is a thread called Sad and Happy. Of course, this will change if a new thread is added, and it neglects the fact that there are some deleted threads, which throws off the count. Unfortunately, the threads aren't numbered, so I have to calculate the page and count down from there.

If a thread interests me I'll post a response, so don't be surprised if you start seeing old threads popping up.

Cool.

I just responded to my first random-generated thread, in Quality Images.

This is kind of like turning over the muck at the bottom of the lake to see what floats to the surface.

Actually, if I've interpreted the vbulletin URLs correctly, each thread is assigned an ID number that's independent of what forum it's in. It would be pretty easy to put out a web page--or add a button to an existing one--to pull up a random thread, if only one had a variable to tell what the current maximum value for the thread number is.

Sounds like a job for... (insert dramatic music) UNDERTOAD.

But probably not.

This from the (not-addicted) dwellar who's planning on quietly fading away, right?

So you're the one who has been reading my posts!

I'm only doing it for LJ, who seems to miss the old days.:)

ya.

Share and enjoy.

http://www.deathtongue.net/cellar/random.pl

(note: all this does is pick a random number between 1 and 14678 and plug it in where the thread number goes. The number that comes back may refer to a thread that's been deleted, is in a restricted area, etc. etc.)

Sweet.

Steve, that's awesome! Maybe it could even be a permanent link somewhere?

that should be a link down by the cookies thinger.

Thanks, SD. That's a lot easier than what I'd been doing with the spreadsheet. Is 14678 the number of threads as of today?

One interesting thing that I noticed: If I open an old thread, like 2002, it comes up with 15 posts to a page and red borders, but the newer ones are 40 to a page and blue borders, which is what I've set up in my options.

PS -- Is dayafter.jpg posted somewhere in the Cellar?

The dayafter jpg.

SD you are the be all and end all!