SantaThing: adopted pickers

OK, here's the game plan:

SantaThing is going to close at 10pm EST tomorrow night (that 24 hours from right now, for those of you in other time zones who don't want to do the math).

Once it closes, we'll need adopters. (Unless, miraculously, every Santee has a Santar!)

http://www.librarything.com/santathing.php

Anyone who doesn't have a pick has an alarming gift next to their name. That way you don't have to click through everyone.

Note that you've adopted them by starting your comment like this:
ADOPTED:

Remember to include the title, author, ISBN and a link. Also make sure to choose from the preferred bookseller.

We won't be starting to order books until 9am on Wednesday (11 hours after SantaThing closes), so US night owls and Australians – you have the first go. Europe will back you up. We'll be close behind.

(The sun never sets on LibraryThing members!)

Count me in ... more chance to inflict my book opinions on others ;-)

Me too ... I'll have got this horrid essay out of the way and selecting books for someone is such fun.

Sounds like fun!

I'd love to help, too. I think December 11th is Friday?

I should be available to help out, too.

wahoo! it's my favorite part!!

I just realized that last year, we waited until picking was closed to start in on the adopted picking. So, change your calendars, and plan to start on Saturday, December 12th at 10 pm eastern, and you can work on them until we have them all done.

I blogged a bit about it here.

Friday, December 12th at 10 pm?

I'm in.

>9 sqdancer: Thanks - fixed.

Friday is the 11th.

Let's make it abundantly clear—no picking your own book! :)

Friday December 11 or Saturday December 12?

Anyway, I make that a 3am GMT start; I had great fun helping with this last year, but I draw the line at getting up in the middle of the night to help. If there are any still left to be done by breakfast time, I'll join in. :)

I would be more than happy to help- count me in!

Helping pick books for the unpicked is actually my favorite part of the whole process. I'm totally in.

I'm in as well!

>14 Eat_Read_Knit: We'll start Saturday, Dec 12 at 10pm, and work till we're done. We'll keep everyone up-to-date in this thread, so CatyM and others can check in after they've had breakfast :)

Michael: What comes before anything? What have we always said is the most important thing?
George Michael: Breakfast.

You guys must be on the other side of the Date Line. Here December 11 is Friday, and December 12, is Saturday.

Robert

OK. I'm totally wrong. (Going back and editing all dates.)

I had changed my Google calendar to start the week on Monday, but apparently I cannot get used to it. I'm changing it back.

We're crowdsourcing Sonya's Google calendar, now? I'm in too.

If you like this whole project, please see http://www.librarything.com/topic/78113

NOKLARUSU (Explanation at that link.)

Since I was adopted I would love to make some sort of gesture toward the whole SantaThing so I am available to "pick" if needed. I'm in the UK, FYI for time concerns.

I'll try to be along, but December is a busy time of year for me so I can't really make any promises right now.

OK! New plan! We decided that for the sake of our sanity (selfish, I know), we're shortening the time members can pick for their Santa. So, our big plan will now happen starting on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 10pm Eastern.

Count me in.

The system is now picking Santas. We are actually using book-to-book logic, so it's not immediate. In fact, it's tantalizingly slow. Check

http://www.librarything.com/santathing.php

to see if your santee has been picked yet.

I'll send out profile and email notices later tonight, after I put my son to bed.

Okay, since I didn't participate myself but let klarusu do the honours for me in adopting someone I don't seem to able to gain access there. That's cool too, but if you would like me to help out later on...

Oh, I think we'll need everyone's help. Shortening the amount of time people have to pick will make it easier for us to pace ourselves.

Last year, it was a non-stop marathon. This year, we'll have a bit more breathing room, and more people will get their gifts before Dec. 25th.

I'm having such a great time picking out my santee's books and also making suggestons etc.

I'd love to help at the last-minute. Count me in!!

I, too, was adopted, so I am totally willing to help. Let me know when the date is picked.

We are actually using book-to-book logic, so it's not immediate.

What does this mean? Are Santas picked based on who has similar libraries?

Yup! We added this feature last year. So, it should make picking for your Santee just a little easier, if they've read books like you've read.

My Santee is ... a surprising and funny fit.

Count me in! I love inflicting my opinions on others. ;)

#35 Mwaa-ha-ha ... I stumbled on your Santee yesterday by mistake ... better get the choice right then ;-))

Are Santas picked based on who has similar libraries? (#34)

Generally speaking, library similarity is a good thing for Santas. That said, it is entirely irrelevant where the Santee is actually a third party.

It tried to use similarity, but only when it was for you, and it didn't try very hard. So, some got similars, but not all.

OK, here's the game plan:

SantaThing is going to close at 10pm EST tomorrow night (that 24 hours from right now, for those of you in other time zones who don't want to do the math).

Once it closes, we'll need adopters. (Unless, miraculously, every Santee has a Santar!)

http://www.librarything.com/santathing.php

So, you'll have to click on every Santee's name to see it, but how we'll know if someone needs adopting (meaning: picked books for) is if there's no red box around one of the comments.

Note that you've adopted them by starting your comment like this:
ADOPTED:

Remember to include the title, author, ISBN and a link. Also make sure to choose from the preferred bookseller.

We won't be starting to order books until 9am on Wednesday (11 hours after SantaThing closes), so US night owls and Australians – you have the first go. Europe will back you up. We'll be close behind.

(The sun never sets on LibraryThing members!)

Is it bad that there is someone listed that I *hope* their Santa doesn't pick for them just so I can do it? I already have their books all picked out (just in case)
LOL

41: Just put your picks as a comment. That won't hurt anything. :)

>41 Belladonna1975: Belladonna - put them in as a comment now - like infinite suggested; then adoptees will know to pick those books. :)

OR: you can put the books in the comment box now with a huge
HANDS OFF ADOPTEES - I'VE PICKED!! title! lol

42, 43 > I think I am going to go ahead and put in my picks and put Adopted and then if the original Santa comes along, they can trump me, if they like. :)

I think that is a great idea, and really, it is a lovely gesture on your part...I'm sad at so many not having picks in their 'box' at this late stage.

I just went through them and couldn't believe how many there were left. I love picking out books for people. (probably why I am going back to school to be a librarian)
Oh well, I guess that means I will just have lots of fun tomorrow night picking out more books.

Well this morning I picked books for the last three people who didn't have any comments at all. So there is at least a comment for everyone. I didn't "Adopt" them just put in some suggestions with the links to the appropriate book sellers. Though I am sure there are still quite a few that have no "Official" pickings.

Update: Tim has coded it so anyone who doesn't have a pick has an alarming gift (you'll see) next to their name. That way you don't have to click through everyone.

(I'm adding all the details, changes, updates, etc. to my first post at the top, so if you want the summary, check there.)

"You choose the gift for:

Some sort of error just happened. The error was logged and Tim has been alerted. If problems persist, email timspaldingAT SIGNlibrarything.com

In most cases, the problem can be fixed by using this link.

The reported error was:

Problem with the concurrent query manager in the LibraryThing Bureau of Garbage Collections.

We have an entire room of trained monkeys working to solve the problem.."

49> I just went in to get to see how many there were and get to work doing some picking and got the same error.

At least we know the monkeys are on it!

# 49 and 50 same thing here and clicking this link took me to my own catalogue!

Plus the link in sonya's post at the top of the page took me here

http://www.librarything.com/santathing.p..

Sorry, but the page you requested can't be found.

Please check the url. You can also look for help in Groups, or contact us.

Other things to try:

Go to www. librarything. com/ santathing. php
Search www.librarything.com:

the php link on that page worked.

Should this be reported in bugs?

edit to add or email Tim as suggested?

>49 infiniteletters:-50
I got the error too. For what it's worth, I have my Santee's page bookmarked and that page had no monkeys.

Fixed.

monkeys are cute in an abstract, cartoon way. Real monkeys are nasty and fling their poo. Not to mention the ones in India are thieving little bastards. It taught me to make sure my hotel balcony door was closed securely, that's for sure!!!!

Sorry, I digress but monkeys? **shiver**

Huh, when I checked the list, my Santee has a warning icon next to the listing, but I thought I posted my picks on Saturday, and my comments have red boxes around them and everything. Does this mean I did something wrong? Or is the algorithm that displays the warning icons confused by multiple comments?

Edit: Wait, never mind, I think we're both confused here. The first instance of my Santee has the alarming gift (the one up at the top so that I don't have to scroll down), but when I check the second instance, within the list itself, the warning isn't there.

>55 keristars: keristars

The red boxes signify it was YOU - the true picker and designated Santar - and your choices!
An entire room of trained monkeys will be working to err.. The humans, to quote Sonya, (read Sonya and probably all of the LT staff) ordering the books will know, then, that is the choice by the designated santar, and will go with that.
That is why we are asked to add 'adopted' with choices NOT made by the original allocated member.

edit: I think you got all this before I finished typing (note to self; must type faster!)

>56 Lman: Heh, yeah, I figured that's what the red box meant, which is why the presence of the alarming gift icon had me wondering if I did something wrong (despite the red box).

Still don't know why the alarming gift icon was there, but I checked again just now and it's gone, so must've been the monkeys messing with me.

Eta: and all the other alarming gift icons are gone, too. That was fast.

>57 keristars: (nice conversation we are having here between us BTW - mwahaha)

The link on the OP here and on the blog list on my home page doesn't work for me :(
And I can't see ANY alarming gift icons*, whether correct or not - not one, nada! :( :(
Adding a *sulk* for good measure and a *sigh* too.

*It's the monkeys again, isn't it...just ask Belladonna!

Add: I went through another link to get to the SantaThing page; maybe it isn't the new one, ie avec icons????

58> Yes it probably was monkeys.

Or it could be that everyone now has been Santa'ed, (and under the deadline too!) At least, I hope that is the case.

>58 Lman:, 59

Ah, nope, the monkeys have overcorrected. I just checked one which has only 1 comment (and no alarming gift), and that comment was only a suggestion. (Nothing about it indicated it was a pick.)

There's something wrong with the link cropping - it's actually cropping the link, not just the text of it. Sonya's link in the first post ends in santathing.p.. (instead of santathing.php, as it should), both when you look at it and when you click on it. I've noticed it elsewhere (in Talk), too.

I see what you mean Jim... at least the link on the announcements works.

And the icons aren't showing, and NOT because they have all been picked! I found one and 'adopted' them, and there was no icon.

*wants alarming icons* and not just because they are cute!

I just want to see an alarming icon to see what they look like...oh and to pick out more books!

You can see it here if you go the end of the page.

You can also see it at the top of this page.

I edited post #1 so the URL is correct (not in text, but how it resolves).

Oh they ARE cute!

Trying to post my selections (as a Santa), and the page has been loading for a few minutes now. I'm not sure if it's my end (snowstorm, so the internets are busy) or LT, but be forewarned that this may not be instantaneous....

ETA: It's the SantaThing page, definitely.

SantaThing is closed! Bring in the elves! There were 38 people without picks.

Make sure to review the instructions in post #1. Also, make yourself some hot chocolate. That's what I'm about to do.

I put up picks next to my Santee (the person I am selecting gifts for). I had checked it twice and now there is a gift next to it as though I never picked anything. This is alarming! I can't see my picks either. So, what happened? Or is this just and error you will surely fix?

70 What's the name of your Santee?

hmmm...I think I just adopted 3 people. too many? too few? What happens if there are multiple adopters? do we duke it out for the right to pick books? ;-)

71 lis.lueninghoener

>72 ForeignCircus: The sooner they're done, the sooner we can order, and the sooner the gifts go out.

So, I say be selfish!

71/73: There are two entries for lis.lueninghoener on the list. One's at the very top.

Not many left who are unadopted, looks like.

Yeah I think most are done- that was FUN (though I feel like a SantaThing stalker for stealing so many)...

Thanks to Sonya and everyone at LT for making this wonderful event happen!

Thanks to all of you who have helped make choices, and to everyone didn't have a chance to help because all the helping was done.

Many hand, light work. Now, to start the ordering!