|
sui
I love you.



Registered: 08/20/04
Posts: 31,853
Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
|
the random thread button.
#7959026 - 01/31/08 02:36 AM (16 years, 1 day ago) |
|
|
how about a button that pulls up a thread at random from the database. A different thread everytime.
what yall think.?
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
|
SneezingPenis
ACHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!111!

Registered: 01/15/05
Posts: 15,427
Last seen: 6 years, 8 months
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: sui]
#7959035 - 01/31/08 02:45 AM (16 years, 1 day ago) |
|
|
and like the google "im feeling lucky" button, it can say "Im feeling shroomy!".
|
sui
I love you.



Registered: 08/20/04
Posts: 31,853
Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
|
|
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
|
WhiskeyClone
Not here


Registered: 06/25/01
Posts: 16,509
Loc: Longitudinal Center of Canada ...
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: sui]
#7959345 - 01/31/08 07:50 AM (16 years, 1 day ago) |
|
|
Awesome! StumbleShroomery FTW
There might be an epidemic of asinine, irrelevant posts though.
OTDers stumbling across MRP threads... will be interesting.
-------------------- Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man. For him all doors are flung wide: him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire. Our love goes out to him and embraces him, because he did not need it. ~ R.W. Emerson, "Self-Reliance"
|
Ythan
ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ



Registered: 08/08/97
Posts: 18,774
Loc: NY/MA/VT Borderlands
Last seen: 2 hours, 14 minutes
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: sui]
#7960737 - 01/31/08 03:38 PM (16 years, 1 day ago) |
|
|
|
drSE
Pseudo Reality




Registered: 12/19/03
Posts: 4,432
Loc: Twighlight Zone
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: Ythan]
#7960746 - 01/31/08 03:41 PM (16 years, 1 day ago) |
|
|
yay. that didn't take long.
/me starts randomizing.
--------------------
Grow Room
|
sui
I love you.



Registered: 08/20/04
Posts: 31,853
Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: Ythan]
#7961018 - 01/31/08 04:47 PM (16 years, 1 day ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Ythan said: Here ya go. 
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/random.html
Awesome Thanx ythan!!!
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
|
SneezingPenis
ACHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!111!

Registered: 01/15/05
Posts: 15,427
Last seen: 6 years, 8 months
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: sui]
#7961171 - 01/31/08 05:23 PM (16 years, 1 day ago) |
|
|
why is it only in mush cult?
|
sui
I love you.



Registered: 08/20/04
Posts: 31,853
Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
|
|
its not. Ive had threads pop up from all over.
Its awesome. Ive come accross threads i would have never seen had the button not been there!
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
|
SneezingPenis
ACHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!111!

Registered: 01/15/05
Posts: 15,427
Last seen: 6 years, 8 months
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: sui]
#7961207 - 01/31/08 05:34 PM (16 years, 1 day ago) |
|
|
i clicked it like 5 times and it was all mush cult.
and is this link the only way to have the button?
I mean it is awesome to get this, and i am programming illiterate, but would it be so hard just to incorporate it into the actual GUI?
|
WhiskeyClone
Not here


Registered: 06/25/01
Posts: 16,509
Loc: Longitudinal Center of Canada ...
|
|
Quote:
YawningAnus said: why is it only in mush cult?
I'm getting a variety.
Thanks Y -- this is cool.
-------------------- Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man. For him all doors are flung wide: him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire. Our love goes out to him and embraces him, because he did not need it. ~ R.W. Emerson, "Self-Reliance"
|
sui
I love you.



Registered: 08/20/04
Posts: 31,853
Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
|
|
Theres a link at the top of the page under the 'invite' button. it has a single die as the icon.
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
Edited by sui (01/31/08 05:36 PM)
|
LeftyBurnz
Mr. I Eat Butthole



Registered: 06/21/05
Posts: 24,570
Loc: FL
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: sui]
#7961628 - 01/31/08 07:02 PM (16 years, 1 day ago) |
|
|
love it!
--------------------
|
WhiskeyClone
Not here


Registered: 06/25/01
Posts: 16,509
Loc: Longitudinal Center of Canada ...
|
|

It doesn't seem to be entirely random...
For example, this thread has popped up four times in twenty or so clicks.
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/264823#Post264823
-------------------- Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man. For him all doors are flung wide: him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire. Our love goes out to him and embraces him, because he did not need it. ~ R.W. Emerson, "Self-Reliance"
|
Ythan
ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ



Registered: 08/08/97
Posts: 18,774
Loc: NY/MA/VT Borderlands
Last seen: 2 hours, 14 minutes
|
|
It's as random as I can make it, but it's not truly random because I had to cheat to get acceptable performance. We have so many posts that I can't just ask MySQL to return a random row. It takes over 5 seconds and locks the database. This is especially problematic because I expect people who are using the 'Random Thread' button to keep hitting it in fairly rapid succession.
So instead, I generate a random number between MIN_POST_NUM and MAX_POST_NUM and then select the first post that's greater than or equal to that number. This only takes a fraction of a second and doesn't adversely affect the server. However, there's a problem with this method which is clear from a simple example: if the post numbers in the database are 1, 3, 4 and 5, then '3' is greater then or equal to both 2 and 3, so it will come up twice as often. Restrictions due to forum permissions and the varying number of replies for each thread create additional 'holes' in the consecutive numbering scheme which further detract from the randomness.
Still, the sheer number of posts should make this effect significantly less noticeable. Having a post come up 20% of the time sounds like a fluke to me, even with all the cheating going on behind the scenes.
(And I bet you thought this was a simple feature. )
|
jewunit
Brutal!

Registered: 01/11/07
Posts: 34,264
Loc: Ohio
|
|
Hey, that thread came up for me too.
-------------------- !
|
WhiskeyClone
Not here


Registered: 06/25/01
Posts: 16,509
Loc: Longitudinal Center of Canada ...
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: Ythan]
#7963671 - 02/01/08 06:59 AM (16 years, 19 hours ago) |
|
|
Ok, cool
-------------------- Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man. For him all doors are flung wide: him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire. Our love goes out to him and embraces him, because he did not need it. ~ R.W. Emerson, "Self-Reliance"
|
Cowgold
Bullshit


Registered: 04/04/05
Posts: 12,486
Loc: .
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: Ythan]
#7989563 - 02/06/08 10:26 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
What do you think about a random button for active threads? Or newer than a week?
Cool feature either way.
|
Ythan
ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ



Registered: 08/08/97
Posts: 18,774
Loc: NY/MA/VT Borderlands
Last seen: 2 hours, 14 minutes
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: Cowgold]
#7990073 - 02/07/08 01:04 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
I had a bunch of idea for improving the random thread button, including being able to limit it to new threads, specific forums and certain posters. I wanted to see if it was popular first though. It seems to be getting some use so I'll add that stuff to my to-do list, although not as high priority I'm afraid.
|
implee
Cyber Hippie


Registered: 07/27/06
Posts: 5,833
Loc: Houston, Texas.
Last seen: 5 months, 19 days
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: Ythan]
#7990105 - 02/07/08 01:18 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
thanks ythan three cocks for you  
|
Cowgold
Bullshit


Registered: 04/04/05
Posts: 12,486
Loc: .
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: Ythan]
#7990817 - 02/07/08 08:50 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
Thanks!
|
2end4
Fuckin Immortal



Registered: 02/15/07
Posts: 774
Loc: Aristonda
Last seen: 11 years, 8 months
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: implee]
#7990933 - 02/07/08 09:45 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
-------------------- Praise Bob!
|
Senor_Doobie
Snake Pit Champion



Registered: 08/11/99
Posts: 22,678
Loc: Trump Train
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: Ythan]
#7990964 - 02/07/08 09:55 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
>if the post numbers in the database are 1, 3, 4 and 5, then '3' is greater then or equal to both 2 and 3, so it will come up twice as often.
Would you mind explaining that a little further? I do not understand and am currently training myself in MYSQL and would like to understand this problem. I would really appreciate it.
Perhaps if you could explain how threads are numbered on the server, that would help me to follow the logic of what you are saying here?
I'd appreciate any more info on that part. Thanks
-------------------- "America: Fuck yeah!" -- Alexthegreat “Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle. The real extent of this state of misinformation is known only to those who are in situations to confront facts within their knowledge with the lies of the day.” -- Thomas Jefferson The greatest sin of mankind is ignorance. The press takes [Trump] literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally. --Salena Zeto (9/23/16)
|
Ythan
ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ



Registered: 08/08/97
Posts: 18,774
Loc: NY/MA/VT Borderlands
Last seen: 2 hours, 14 minutes
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: Senor_Doobie]
#7993011 - 02/07/08 06:29 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
I'm happy to elaborate but I'm not sure exactly what you don't understand. Post numbers are stored in an AUTO_INCREMENT INT field. With auto increment, int values aren't reused, so if post number 666 is deleted, it leaves a permanent 'hole' between posts 665 and 667. Here's an example.
4 posts have been made. They are assigned ids 1, 2, 3 and 4 by the auto increment column.
Post #3 is deleted. The ids are now 1, 2, 4.
A new post is made. It's assigned id 5 by auto increment. The ids are now 1, 2, 4, 5.
To get a truly random record you'd do "SELECT * FROM Posts ORDER BY RAND(id) LIMIT 1". But ORDER BY RAND is extremely slow when you have a lot of records. So to approximate a random selection, I first get the id range: "SELECT MIN(id), MAX(id) FROM Posts". Then I generate a random number in PHP: $rand = mt_rand($min, $max). Finally I select the first post with an id greater than or equal to the random number: "SELECT * FROM Posts WHERE id >= $rand ORDER BY id ASC LIMIT 1".
So using the post numbers above for example (1, 2, 4, 5), the results of the first query will be 1 for MIN(id) and 5 for MAX(id). Thus the random number generated by PHP will be between 1 and 5 inclusive. It should gives the following results with equal probability:
Query: SELECT * FROM Posts WHERE id >= 1 ORDER BY id ASC LIMIT 1 Returns: Post #1
Query: SELECT * FROM Posts WHERE id >= 2 ORDER BY id ASC LIMIT 1 Returns: Post #2
Query: SELECT * FROM Posts WHERE id >= 3 ORDER BY id ASC LIMIT 1 Returns: Post #4
Query: SELECT * FROM Posts WHERE id >= 4 ORDER BY id ASC LIMIT 1 Returns: Post #4
Query: SELECT * FROM Posts WHERE id >= 5 ORDER BY id ASC LIMIT 1 Returns: Post #5
As you can see, post #4 is twice as likely to show up as any other post.
Now, all posts are assigned an id, whether they're a main post or a reply. But for selecting a random post I only consider main posts, not replies. So if the breakdown is like this:
1: Main post 2: Reply 4: Reply 5: Main post
for all practical purposes ids 2 and 4 don't exist. Now you get these results:
Query: SELECT * FROM Posts WHERE id >= 1 AND main = 'true' ORDER BY id ASC LIMIT 1 Returns: Post #1
Query: SELECT * FROM Posts WHERE id >= 2 AND main = 'true' ORDER BY id ASC LIMIT 1 Returns: Post #5
Query: SELECT * FROM Posts WHERE id >= 3 AND main = 'true' ORDER BY id ASC LIMIT 1 Returns: Post #5
Query: SELECT * FROM Posts WHERE id >= 4 AND main = 'true' ORDER BY id ASC LIMIT 1 Returns: Post #5
Query: SELECT * FROM Posts WHERE id >= 5 AND main = 'true' ORDER BY id ASC LIMIT 1 Returns: Post #5
So although there are two main posts, #1 and #5, #5 is four times as likely to show up.
And finally, permissions create additional holes. For instance, threads in the admin forum are ignored (unless you're an admin). With the above explanation you can hopefully understand how this further impacts the randomness of the results.
But this is kind of a special case, you shouldn't need to select a random record too often. And if you only have a few thousand records, you can use ORDER BY RAND with no problems. It's only once you have many hundreds of thousands or millions of records that you'll start running into performance issues.
|
implee
Cyber Hippie


Registered: 07/27/06
Posts: 5,833
Loc: Houston, Texas.
Last seen: 5 months, 19 days
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: Ythan]
#7994120 - 02/07/08 09:56 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
Ythan do you have a part of shroomery with all the crazy features you added? Cause i cant find half of the old ones i knew about...
Like the most ignored user/highest rated user/other info page... I dont know where to find all the badass features at
|
Ythan
ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ



Registered: 08/08/97
Posts: 18,774
Loc: NY/MA/VT Borderlands
Last seen: 2 hours, 14 minutes
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: implee]
#7994562 - 02/08/08 12:17 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
|
implee
Cyber Hippie


Registered: 07/27/06
Posts: 5,833
Loc: Houston, Texas.
Last seen: 5 months, 19 days
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: Ythan]
#7994784 - 02/08/08 02:40 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
I appreciate it, you should make a http://www.shroomery.org/forums/features.php with plain links to all of them, ill mail you a dollar -=/
|
Senor_Doobie
Snake Pit Champion



Registered: 08/11/99
Posts: 22,678
Loc: Trump Train
|
Re: the random thread button. [Re: Ythan]
#7995335 - 02/08/08 09:05 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
Thanks for that explanation man!
Its all a lot clearer now.
-------------------- "America: Fuck yeah!" -- Alexthegreat “Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle. The real extent of this state of misinformation is known only to those who are in situations to confront facts within their knowledge with the lies of the day.” -- Thomas Jefferson The greatest sin of mankind is ignorance. The press takes [Trump] literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally. --Salena Zeto (9/23/16)
|
|