RandomCAT General Thread

Welcome to the 2018 RandomCAT planning and discussion thread. The RandomCAT is a lot of fun. Each month, a different host will select a theme for our challenge. Previous themes have included things such as celebrations, camping, and gifts. Generally the month's thread is posted around the middle of the month prior to give everyone some planning time. Feel free to join us every month or on the months where the theme strikes your fancy.

Hosts

January: DeltaQueen50
February: majkia
March: RidgewayGirl
April: clue
May: Chrischi_HH
June: VioletBramble
July: beebeereads
August: sturlington
September: Robertgreaves
October: LittleTaiko
November: sushicat
December: LibraryCin

The RandomCAT Wiki

I'll take January, but my idea isn't month specific so if someone else needs January I will gladly switch.

Thanks for starting the thread! I'll be happe to take May. :)

I'll take March, if no one else wants it.

I'll take February.

>1 virginiahomeschooler:, I'm not *planning* on volunteering because I've already hosted a few randomcat months in the last few years, including 2017, so I want to give others the chance and focus on volunteering elsewhere, but if it gets toward the end of planning and you're starting to think you don't have enough volunteers, you'll be able to count on me :)

I volunteer for October.

>6 whitewavedarling: Thanks :)

I would like to take a month, though I'm not particularly fussed which month apart from NOT January or December. I'll take September for now but if anyone else wants it because of a seasonal tie-in I'll be happy to swap.

I will take April. Like Robert I am willing to swap if anyone particularly wants this month.

Here is the bare-bones wiki: http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/2018_RandomCAT

If you'll put the link in the OP everyone can find it.

I will volunteer for June. I'd also be willing to switch if someone else really wants June.

I'll do a month. I'm not picky about which month (I just hope to not to different CATs/KITs on the same month, if possible!), so depending what happens, I might want to switch later. In the meantime, I'll wait to see what months others don't want.

I'll take August.

I will dip my toes in...first time volunteering. I will take July. I may need some structural assistance in setting up the thread and wiki, but hopefully the veterans here will help me out.

> Hurrah! Welcome! Of course we'll help you out. :)

>13 LibraryCin: November and December are still open, so you still have a little choice. :)

>15 beebeereads: Yes! We'll definitely help. The RandomCAT is a very good choice for your first hosting gig :)

Thanks everyone. I look forward to this challenge.

>17 Chrischi_HH: Ok, how about stick me in there for December.

We just need one more, and we are set.

I’ll take November.

Thank you all for volunteering. Looks like next year is going to be great!

NEW wiki link: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2018_RandomCAT

I can't get any of the new wiki links to work. Is it just me?

the link goes there for me. Hmm.

The new link works for me as well.

Weird. It must be my phone. It says it can't be reached because the connection was reset? It's all of them not just the random. I have no issues with any other parts of LT, though.

ETA: My husband was able to get it working for me. No idea what he did.

I couldn't wait any longer and I have posted the January RandomCat thread at https://www.librarything.com/topic/277768. See you over there!

February RandomCAT is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/283187

Did I miss the March RandomCAT thread? I've been known to click on the X instead of the star.

No, that's me. I'll have it up in a few minutes.

March RandomCAT is up.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/287028#

>32 RidgewayGirl: Sorry to have poked you but I've mistakenly x'd a thread before :)

>34 VivienneR: Thank you for the reminder!

April Random CAT is up

https://www.librarything.com/topic/288499

The May thread is up: click

The June thread is up:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/291360

Hi all
I am on board for the July Random Cat. Can I create a new topic and work on it for a bit without it being discovered? I think the answer is yes, because only a search would find it and most will not look for it until I post the link. Do you agree? If not, I will wait and carve out time to do it all at once.
Thanks for your help.

>39 beebeereads: I work on my posts ahead of time by sending myself a private message on my comment wall. I can edit it as I work on the post. Several years ago I tried making a map for the GeoCAT on my personal thread, and people started commenting on it well before I was ready to post (and before the posting was due).

>39 beebeereads: When I'm preparing a post I send myself a private message on my comment wall. I can update the message as I prepare the post. That way nobody sees it ahead of time. Several years ago when I practiced creating a map for the GeoCAT challenge on my personal thread, some people started commenting before I was ready to post (and before the post was due).

>39 beebeereads: I think that once the topic appears in the group, people will start reading and posting. I know I do, anyway! Sallylou61's suggestion of preparing the post on your comment wall is a good one. I was going to suggest preparing your post in an offline program like Microsoft Word, but waiting to post an official thread until mid-June. That way you can still plan in advance (and a little bit at a time), but you won't get people posting on the thread too early.

>41 sallylou61: >42 christina_reads:
I don't have a personal thread. Should I? I've only followed challenges and I update my library with books read. I am not a very savvy user of LT. Is the comment on my wall, the box at the bottom of the home page?
I do have my post drafted in a word doc right now, but have a lot of image linking,etc to do. I'll finish it in the doc and then post it.
Thanks to both of you for your suggestions.

>42 christina_reads: I was going to suggest preparing your post in an offline program like Microsoft Word, but waiting to post an official thread until mid-June.

This is what I do, as well.

>43 beebeereads: I don't think it is necessary to have a thread. I did not have one the first year that I participated in the challenge. However, having a thread lets you tell others what you are reading, how you liked it, etc. To set up a thread all you need to do is to click on the "Post a new topic" link, insert a title for your topic and write a message as you have been doing on this thread, and hit post message. Once you establish your thread, you cannot change the title of the topic. Also, immediately after posting the thread go back to your profile page and re-enter the challenge page. Your new topic does not appear to you until you have left the challenge page. The first time I set up a thread, I did not realize this, and, thinking it had not taken, set up a duplicate thread.

This is how you will set up the thread for your July RandomCAT.

For your information, your comment wall appears under your "most recent activity" box on your profile screen.
https://www.librarything.com/profile/beebeereads

You currently have one comment there. I'm planning on posting another.

>45 sallylou61: Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate the time you have taken to help out a newbie.

>46 beebeereads: We've all been newbies at one time, so ask as many questions as you like, there will always be somebody with an answer. The general rule is to have fun.

>47 VivienneR: ;-) Thank you!

The July Random Cat is up http://www.librarything.com/topic/292489

I just saw the above conversation. When I'm working on setting up a CAT I work in one of my old threads. Usually 2009 or 2010. No one looks back that far. Then I can copy and paste it here, all set up, when it's time. Then delete it in the old thread.

>50 VioletBramble: Thanks for the suggestion. I ended up using >41 sallylou61: suggestion and created it in a private message to myself. That seemed to work. I set up the Wiki but don't know how to change the 1.61 to 1.7...does that happen automatically when it becomes July or maybe after a first post?? Not sure if I need to do anything.

>51 beebeereads: I have never changed that section on top. I add my title/description to that month's section of the wiki- above where everyone will post their books. I don't know if that top section changes itself or if someone in the know changes it.

The August RandomCAT is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/293618

Posted to wrong thread - DELETED

The theme of the September thread is Happy Birthday.

>55 Robertgreaves: thank you!

The October thread is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/296242#

November thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/297567

I've just posted December's RandomCAT:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/298752