This project introduces "sortashuffle," a tool designed to shuffle a list of TV shows (or other media) while maintaining the intended viewing order within each show. It accomplishes this by treating each show as a group, shuffling the order of the shows themselves, but keeping the episodes within each show in their original sequence. This allows for a randomized viewing experience while still preserving the narrative flow of individual series. The implementation uses Python and provides command-line options for customizing the shuffling process.
The author has meticulously crafted a specialized shuffling algorithm, implemented in Python, explicitly designed for randomizing the viewing order of episodic media, such as television shows or anime series. Unlike a conventional shuffle which completely randomizes the order of individual episodes, this "sortashuffle" maintains the intended chronological sequence within each season while randomizing the order in which the seasons themselves are watched. Furthermore, within each season, episode ordering can be optionally randomized by specifying a given tolerance level. This tolerance level dictates the maximum deviation permitted from the original airing order. For instance, a tolerance of zero preserves the original episode order within a season, while a higher tolerance allows for increasingly greater degrees of randomness. This nuanced approach offers a unique viewing experience, enabling viewers to experience the overarching narrative arc of a series in a non-linear fashion while still preserving the intended storyline progression within individual seasons to a user-defined degree. The script leverages file system organization, expecting episodes to be arranged in directories corresponding to seasons, facilitating a practical application of the algorithm for personal media collections. The author provides the Python code for this specialized shuffling utility, making it readily available for others to utilize and adapt to their own media consumption preferences.
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https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43528867
Hacker News users discuss the practicality and limitations of the "sortashuffle" tool, which shuffles items while preserving original order within groups. Some highlight its usefulness for playlists or photo albums where related items should stay together. Others point out that true randomness isn't achieved, with the algorithm simply rearranging pre-defined chunks. Several suggest alternative approaches for achieving similar results, such as shuffling album lists and then tracks within each album, or using a weighted shuffle based on metadata. The discussion also touches on the definition of "shuffle" and the user experience implications of different shuffling methods. A few users delve into the specific algorithm, suggesting improvements or noting edge cases.
The Hacker News post discussing the "show shuffler" has several interesting comments. Many users discuss their own approaches and preferences for shuffling media, reflecting a common desire for more control over playback order.
One user describes their existing approach using
sort -Rin conjunction with a "watch count" prepended to filenames. This allows them to shuffle while still prioritizing unwatched episodes. Another user suggests a similar method using a custom script and ID3 tags for music. These comments highlight the practicality of using simple command-line tools for personalized media shuffling.The concept of "weighted shuffling," where some items are more likely to be chosen than others, is also brought up. One commenter mentions using a script that assigns weights based on last watched date, allowing them to revisit older content more frequently. This leads into a broader discussion about the limitations of purely random shuffles and the desire for more sophisticated algorithms.
Several commenters express appreciation for the simplicity and elegance of the "show shuffler" script, particularly its use of
sort -Rand a fixed seed for reproducible shuffles. This resonates with the Hacker News audience's general preference for straightforward solutions. The ability to reproduce the same shuffle order is highlighted as a valuable feature, especially for podcasts or audiobooks.Some users suggest potential improvements to the script, such as adding support for different sorting algorithms or integrating it with media players. The discussion demonstrates a collaborative spirit, with users sharing ideas and contributing to the project's potential development.
Overall, the comments section reveals a strong interest in customized media shuffling solutions. While many users already employ their own methods, the "show shuffler" script is praised for its simplicity and effectiveness. The discussion expands to encompass broader topics such as weighted shuffling, the limitations of randomness, and the desire for more control over media consumption.