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Random Authors
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DrNefario
Posted 2013-01-09 8:01 AM (#4541)
Subject: Random Authors		Quote Reply



Uber User

Posts: 526
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Location: UK		I finally went ahead and picked my random author yesterday. I couldn't bear to have that empty slot in my list.

I said in one of the other threads that I was thinking of using the Mistressworks list to pick an author. I decided that was unfair, and that I'd pick from the whole list, but gave myself a few mulligans in case I didn't like what I got. And then I ended up with an author from the Mistressworks list anyway (Susan Shwartz, my third legal pick).

Too impatient to wait for an official solution, what I did was:
- Cut and paste the big table from the All Women Authors page into a text editor, then edit it down so I just have a list of names.
- When I removed the 11 I'd already picked, there were 333 remaining, so I searched for "random number 1-333" on google and got pointed to a website with a random number generator.
- Paste the list of names into a spreadsheet so I get line numbers, and then look up the number the website gave me.
- Regenerate if it's someone I've already read, or if I don't like the answer, or if I can't easily get hold of a book by that author.
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Administrator
Posted 2013-01-09 9:23 PM (#4546 - in reply to #4541)
Subject: RE: Random Authors		Quote Reply



Admin

Posts: 4004
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Location: Dallas, Texas

That is awesomely nerdy!  Well done, Sir!  We were just talking about how we expected someone to do just what you did.  What's funny is that's pretty much how we're going to code the random picker here when we can get around to it.  We've been spending most of our time adding new authors and books to meet some of the early demand for content.  I'll talk to the guys tomorrow about getting back to the picker.  Thanks for sharing!

Anybody else want to let us know how they made their random pick?  I think CarlV mentioned he was going to leave it up to his blog readers to pick for him.  Enquiring minds want to know...

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dustydigger
Posted 2013-01-10 4:25 PM (#4550 - in reply to #4541)
Subject: Re: Random Authors		Quote Reply



Elite Veteran

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Location: UK		LOL.Dr Nefario and Dave,all I did was shut my eyes and scroll up and down the list a few times,then poked a finger at the screen.I got Angela Carter,which quite pleased me,I have always meant to read her

Edited by dustydigger 2013-01-10 4:26 PM
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DrNefario
Posted 2013-01-11 7:59 AM (#4559 - in reply to #4541)
Subject: Re: Random Authors		Quote Reply



Uber User

Posts: 526
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Location: UK		I didn't want to unfairly bias myself towards the middle of the list. (Especially when I already own a book by Sarah Zettel.)

I keep meaning to knock up a quick bit of javascript for other people to use, but it's hard to find the time.
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jfrantz
Posted 2013-01-14 6:59 AM (#4568 - in reply to #4541)
Subject: Re: Random Authors		Quote Reply



Member

Posts: 41
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Location: Florida		That's a good idea DrNefario. I took this in a different direction. I had my wife pick one for me and ended up with Ann Radcliffe as a result. I just showed her the list and asked her to pick one for any reason she wanted. Afterward, she said she was going for what looked like the oldest author.
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dihenydd
Posted 2013-01-27 3:57 PM (#4631 - in reply to #4541)
Subject: Re: Random Authors		Quote Reply



Member

Posts: 14
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Location: France		I took a very simplistic approach. I used a RNG to pick a number between 1-26. I got 5 - the fifth letter in the Alphabet is E. There were 7 authors with last names starting in E. Back to the the RNG for a number between 1-7. I got 3 so counting off my author is Janet Edwards. Never heard of her but the book in the DB looks interesting...
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dihenydd
Posted 2013-01-27 4:02 PM (#4632 - in reply to #4631)
Subject: Re: Random Authors		Quote Reply



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Posts: 14
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Location: France		Damn I just realised there are 10 authors with last names beginning in E... for some reason Evangeline Walton was in the list and it threw me. I think I will stick with my pick though, it is even more random now
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jfrantz
Posted 2013-01-27 7:22 PM (#4633 - in reply to #4632)
Subject: Re: Random Authors		Quote Reply



Member

Posts: 41
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Location: Florida		Ha! The best laid schemes...
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dihenydd
Posted 2013-01-28 4:45 AM (#4634 - in reply to #4633)
Subject: Re: Random Authors		Quote Reply



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Posts: 14
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Location: France
jfrantz - 2013-01-27 2:22 AM

Ha! The best laid schemes...


...story of my life
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Sai
Posted 2013-02-05 1:16 PM (#4673 - in reply to #4631)
Subject: Re: Random Authors		Quote Reply



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dihenydd - 2013-01-26 5:57 PM

I took a very simplistic approach. I used a RNG to pick a number between 1-26. I got 5 - the fifth letter in the Alphabet is E. There were 7 authors with last names starting in E. Back to the the RNG for a number between 1-7. I got 3 so counting off my author is Janet Edwards. Never heard of her but the book in the DB looks interesting...


Thanks for this. I ended up using this system to get my random author (I admit, I did it a few times as I wanted to get an author who's books were available through my local library). I ended up with Sarah Zettel. I've never heard of her, but her novel 'Bitter Angels' look interesting.
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oddrid
Posted 2013-02-07 2:54 PM (#4683 - in reply to #4541)
Subject: Re: Random Authors		Quote Reply



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Posts: 6
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Location: Chicago		I think I'm going to go with dihenydd's RNG plan. Thanks for the suggestions!

Edited for wonky BBCode

Edited by oddrid 2013-02-07 2:55 PM
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Badseedgirl
Posted 2013-03-26 10:20 AM (#4878 - in reply to #4541)
Subject: RE: Random Authors		Quote Reply



Uber User

Posts: 369
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Location: Middle TN, USA		Ok, so using these suggestions I also picked my random author. I used the RNG, and just counted down that many authors. My local library did not have that author, so I just went up one, and down one, until I got one the library had. And that is why I am going to be reading "Magic For Beginners" by Kelly Link. I don't usually read short stories, so this is going to be a departure for me. Between that and all the Fantasy books I'm reading in this challenge, I am really stepping out of my comfort zone.
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francesashton
Posted 2013-06-16 9:21 AM (#5281 - in reply to #4541)
Subject: Re: Random Authors		Quote Reply



Regular

Posts: 96
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Location: Cheshire, England		To pick my random author I just showed the list of All Women Authors to my husband and said "pick one that's neither ticked nor coloured in". He picked Doris Lessing and said "I didn't know Robin Hobb was a woman"!
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