NEW THEME FOR 2013

There has been much discussion about a new theme for our challenge in 2013. Several people were put off by the "violent" imagery of the BOMBS theme so in 2013, lets look at adjusting that to something that everyone can use to motivate them toward their goal.

That said, let's take some polls to see where the group stands.
I have put up some questions with specific indications of what your vote is saying.
If there is something else you want your vote to say, just indicate that in a separate message.
Don't cast a ballot if it doesn't say what you want. I specifically put in a choice at Message #2 for those that say they have no preference and will be joining no matter the theme.

Directions:
1. If you vote NO on message #2 please don't vote YES on any others. YOU ARE VOTING TO KEEP THE BOMBS THEME. You can, however, vote UNDECIDED if you like some of the others.
2. You can vote YES ON ONLY ONE MESSAGE #3 - 6 if you voted YES OR UNDECIDED on Message #2
you can vote NO or UNDECIDED on others but you get only one "this is what I want"

There are 5 themes to vote on:
BOMBS - Books Off My Book Shelves
ROSES - Read Off your Shelves - Emancipate Space
SPACE -Shelves Pleasantly Available - Cleared by Exploration
BRUSHES - Booklovers Revel on Uncluttered SHelves and Expand Space

one new one...

RACES - Reading Abolishes Clutter and Empties Shelves

Voting will be open until December 15th.

YES = I want a new theme in 2013.
NO = I want to stick with the BOMBS theme.
UNDECIDED = It doesn't make a difference to me I'm planning to participate whatever the theme is.

YES = I definitely want this one!
NO = I don't like this one at all.
UNDECIDED = I like this but not my favorite.

YES = I definitely want this one!
NO = I don't like this one at all.
UNDECIDED = I like this but not my favorite.

YES = I definitely want this one!
NO = I don't like this one at all.
UNDECIDED = I like this but not my favorite.

YES = I definitely want this one!
NO = I don't like this one at all.
UNDECIDED = I like this but not my favorite.

I voted!

So did I! :)

Voted.

Me too.

They are all good--my only reservation is that they all imply that once read, the books will be departing.

In my case: They will depart to the 'read section' of my bookshelves.
It's just what you make of it ;-)

Me too, I have an unread bookcase and a read bookcase, they just change position or are passed on to the library or friends.

I've voted.

To me, most books are removed from the TBR list rather than any actual shelves.

#15 - ditto for me. especially as most of mine are e-books!

>15 PawsforThought: & 16: Well, maybe you're removing them from virtual shelves. :)

(Mine also just get moved from one set of bookshelves to another. But considering how very, very out of space I currently am on the TBR bookshelves, that's a good and important thing.)

->17 bragan:. Exactly. That's how I imagine it (though I don't reads e-books like majkia but library books so technically I'm returning books to their "home shelves"...)

My vote is in. My biggest decision for next year is to decide my goal in terms of numbers, I want to make it challenging but not impossible to reach.

In my case, the books in my TBR pile go ON to the bookshelves - right now they're in piles everywhere! But the terminology doesn't make any difference, it's all fine with me. I've voted.

I've only just caught up with this discussion because I normally only check in and update my totals at the end of the month. I suspect this may apply to quite a lot of people and could explain why so many didn't vote on the 'when to vote' issue.

As far as this vote is concerned, I really couldn't care less what the challenge is called so I haven't voted (I'm not undecided). I hope that makes sense to whoever is collating the votes.

I've voted.

Ballot cast! I love early voting :)

#23 Hah! As an Early Voting Poll Worker, great to hear that!

Voted!

Early voting results look like SPACE is in the lead

I voted. I was uncomfortable with BOMBS at first, but eventually I made peace with it. So, if most people want a less violent meme, I'm fine with it, but if we keep BOMBS I'll still be here . . . I voted for SPACE because it had the most pleasant, open feel to me . . . (and I'm allergic to roses :)

I voted, but it's not a big deal to me one way or the other.

I do think that the implication that once books are read they are removed from the shelves is a problem. I know most of us think of it as removing them from the to read shelve/ list, but I do remember reading some comments that people didn't want to join the group because they did not want to get rid of books after reading them.

What I am trying to say is that this type of theme might be misunderstood and therefore keep people from participating.

Once we decide on a theme, I'll be sure to make it clear that each person can determine whether their shelf is cleared by physically eliminating the book from their possession or if just reading the book means that it is no longer a TBR that needs to be cleared.

Voted. I like BOMS instead of BOMBS, one less word/syllable. My next challenge is to put a minimum amount to finish in 2013. My swap lists on BM and PBS haven't changed in a LONG time.

I voted "undecided" - I don't particularly like any of the proposals, but I don't have a better idea.

"BELLOC" would be fun (as it's well-known that our sins are scarlet but our books are read...) but I can't think of a good way to turn it into an acronym: Bookshelves Expeditiously Load-Lightened Or Cleared might work, but it's cumbersome.

Just interested in the idea of reading those books I know I want to read but which have gotten bypassed by the latest shining star.....I will participate regardless of the thread name.

Should we have tried TROOP?
Tomes Read Off Our Piles

I do remember reading some comments that people didn't want to join the group because they did not want to get rid of books after reading them.

And I also know one person planned to just get rid of books, without reading them. That sort of makes it hard to discuss the book!

Why don't we think of a name that suggests attention to the neglected among our books, rather than "clearing" or taking "off" shelves?

ALB -- Attention to Lonely Books
ANT -- Attention to Neglected Tomes
ROVE -- Read Owned Volumes Efficiently

or my favorite, which is direct and to the point:
ROBN (pronounced "robin" like the bird) -- Read Owned Books Now!
glitter-graphics.com

I know some of those are silly, but you get the idea.

I don't particularly care for the ALB and ANT but ROVE and ROBN are okay by me.

READ OUR BOOKS IN the NEST

Boots: books out of the shadows?

Ooh, I like BOOTS!

I got another one ....

CHECK AND READ RESIDENT OLD TOMES

Like that, too!

BOOTS could also be Books Off Of The Shelves

But then we're back to the image of taking them off the shelves . . . and the issues it raises in "marketing" our group, so to speak, to those who want to keep their keeper books after reading them.

BTW, just think, there are people who actually make a living thinking up names for companies, products, groups, and such . . . ;)

That's why the carrot just says Read

how about BROOMS = BOOKS READ OFF OF MY SHELVES

RYOB = Read Your Own Books!

Leaves the shelves out altogether!

BOOTS and CARROT are my favourites so far.

On behalf of the grammar pedants everywhere - PLEASE nothing that includes 'off of'!!!!!

R.A.K. - Read and Keep

Honestly, I find most of these to be overly contorted efforts to justify using some sort of cute term completely unrelated to the purpose of the group. If assembled properly ROSE, BRUSHES, RACES, CARROTS, BOOTS, etc could be perfectly appropriate names for groups about gardening, art, food preparation and fashion respectively but those abbreviations don't provide any hint about what this group is about while they do raise images of unrelated activities. Shoehorning some explanation into it's breakdown just draws attention to how ill suited the acronym is. After all, no one would just name a group "Quest Unending Over This Eternally Tomed House" unless they were trying really hard to justify it's acronym.

Personally of the names suggested I think RYOB is the best as it springboards off a widely known acronym. When people hear RYOB they will immediately think of BYOB, an expression which is regularly retooled when participants are expected to provide something other than beer for themselves. Since we are providing our own books the name, even without yet knowing what the user is expected to provide for his use, alerts the user that he will be expected to bring something to the table. It's perfectly clear that this is about reading your own books once you read the acronym's breakdown because "Read You Own Books" is a clear and natural way to express the point of the group. Something I can't ay about something like "Quest Unending Over This Eternally Tomed House".

I vote for RYOB.

->49 fundevogel: But surely, BYOB means "bring your own book" and has nothing to do with alcohol... ;)

I've voted.

>50 PawsforThought: It's even clearer than I thought!

Then here's the voteYES= a cute name helps my motivation.
NO= forget a new name and theme we'll just call it Read your own books.
Undecided = Doesn't matter to me what the name is

Okay, I voted 'undecided' on that last one.

I did, too. An acronym is OK, but not if it means having a really contrived name.

I know it is a bit hokey, but I like the acronym....I think that cyderry should just take the bull by the horns and pick one! I think most folks like the idea and will go along with the decision.

If it were my choice I'd go with either CARROT or stick with BOMBS.

Personally, after all of this, I'd prefer to just stick with BOMBS.

I've come to kind of like the acronyms, but I'll be here regardless.

I like the acronyms (SPACE and CARROT are my favourites, SPACE because it allows for word play and CARROT because that's essentially what the group is meant to be, a carrot).

I voted.

Oh, I like the acronyms, when I use the current aconym on LT I often get asked about it and then I can steer any interested parties to this group. So far my choice would be SPACE or CARROT, but I am happy to go with whatever is decided.

Just an observation . . . I view the "off my bookshelves" as lightening the psychic load caused by seeing so many books on my shelves that I haven't read yet . . . So once I've read one, it doesn't matter whether or not I actually get rid of it right away, I just know that I COULD get rid of it because it's no longer a TBR! And when I explain the group to others, I describe it in terms of lowering the number of To Be Read books that I already own. So perhaps some clever variant of TBR? But right now all I can come up with is TOBERED . . . and I don't know what that means :)

Sorry this is getting too ridiculous for me. This reminds me of those silly high school committees. I think I may just skip this year. Hope you all can come up with something everyone can accept.

> 63 I like that. I like pronouncing it towburd.

Has this been decided and has the new group been created yet? I for one am ready to get started setting up my thread. :)

When I set up this thread, I said that voting would last until December 15th. Do we want to close the voting and go with SPACE which is the winner, or run SPACE against CARROT and RYOB?YES = End it now - SPACE is good.
NO = WAIT FOR THE 15TH
UNDECIDED =Run SPACE against CARROT and RYOB

As far as i'm concerned the voting can be closed. I like SPACE!

YES

I'm fine with SPACE.

I'll leave it open until Sunday when I get home.

I think those are both too long (except for RYOB- I get it) and too hard/long to explain. I'll still participate with whatever it is named.

Yeah, I'll never remember what the acronym SPACE stands for (I like the term SPACE, just will have trouble remembering Shelves Pleasantly Available . . .) but I'll keep reading along and reporting anyway! :)

SPACE doesn't really work for me, since I read books, then put them back on their shelves, so I'm really clearing anything. But, as the kids say (or used to say, I'm not really up on current slang) . . . whatever!

I'm kind of at the "whatever" point in this discussion, too. I was perfectly happy when we just had a plain old "Books off the Shelf" challenge -- even though a lot of mine just get moved to another shelf.

It's never mattered to me what the name of the group is or was - I just need some motivation to read (and personally, get rid of) books that are on my shelves, and in heaps and stacks and drawers and piles and.....

Whatever is decided I will be thrilled with, regardless of any implications of actually getting rid of something or not. (Plus, can't we decide what "off of the shelf" or "get rid of" means to each of us anyways? Just making an observation here.)

I LOVE this group, whatever its' incarnation!!!!!!

BIBMTR............Books I've Been Meaning To Read............

IFRI...........I Finally Read It...............

WDIWSL...............Why Did I Wait So Long?

This can go on forever.......we could just stick with BOMBS......it is catchy.....we all got hooked, didn't we?

Well, no, we didn't all get hooked. A group of our folks who objected to the violent theme stayed with the old group.

Why can't we just go back to the original Books off the Shelf Challenge name. I mean, we are taking the books off of the shelf to read them, are we not? Rather than getting books from the library or whatnot. It is up to the reader as to whether they go back onto the shelf afterwards or not.

RYOB works too because that is exactly what we are doing. Reading Our Own Books. But people then might get worked up because it is too much like BYOB and might promote drinking. (even though after all of this hoopla over a group name, I could use a nice glass of wine)

Honestly, people can make negative connotations out of anything if they really want to. You can't please everyone. I just think we need to pick something and create the group so we can get started.

Point taken, staffordcastle.....how about skipping the whole acronym thing and just naming the thread...TBR Too Long?

#78> Not only that, but the old Books off the Shelf group is still around. Plenty of people just stayed put there. To be honest, I never did get an answer that really made sense to me as to why a second group was needed (no criticism intended of anyone by this; I'm a bit slow on the uptake is all). I'm thinking about just going back to the original group. Maybe alternate every year, or something.

A group of our folks who objected to the violent theme stayed with the old group.

Give me a break! It's just an acronym. Nobody's planning to bomb any bookshelves. Plus, my copy of Webster's gives 8 definitions of the noun "bomb" and only one is warfare related.

RYOB works too because that is exactly what we are doing. Reading Our Own Books. But people then might get worked up because it is too much like BYOB and might promote drinking. (even though after all of this hoopla over a group name, I could use a nice glass of wine)

LOL!

people can make negative connotations out of anything if they really want to. You can't please everyone. I just think we need to pick something and create the group so we can get started.

Agreed!

why a second group was needed

I suspect this second group started simply because the 75-ers are used to a new "group" forming for every calendar year, and so Cheli just continued that pattern with this group. I, personally, thought this group was meant to just be the current year's continuation of the old group, only with a little added pizzazz.

Plus, I do like how this one is organized with the group tickers and such. It just seems like more of a group effort than the old one did -- though Cheli (cyderry) is doing the lion's share of the effort, at least for stats. I can use all the encouragement I can get, and the sense of us working together helps. But I'm tired of the debate over a group name.

Okay, gang. How about if we go with....

ROOT - Reading Our Own Tomes (tomes being old books)




This is my last try or I'm sticking with BOMBS.
I try to make this fun but the indecision is getting me down.

I felt a new group for the new year would help us all find a fresh goal and incentive. There wasn't anyway to keep the new away from the old if we just used the old group so I hope you all will be join in the new group once we finally agree on the name.

I think that ROOT may be our best bet - nothing derogatory in its definition.

Ok, I'm late to the party as usual, I just found this thread, I've been swamped at work which has cut into my LT time there and also at home. I like SPACE, but I will go with whatever is finally decided. I voted at any rate.....

I say go with something....anything at this point.....ROOT is fine!

Same here!

ROOT works for me. "Reading Our Own Tomes" is a simple name that pretty well describes what we're trying to do here. (I liked the acronym "SPACE" but thought the name behind it was a bit convoluted.)

good with root

And I like that it doesn't even refer to shelves. (Many of us are pulling books off the floor or out of crates.) The focus is on books -- our own books! -- and reading.

Okay, then ROOT it will be.

I'll try to get it setup this weekend, but I'm not making any guarantees (weekends are really busy for me this time of year). Early next week at the latest.

I'm ROOTing for ROOT!

THANKS, Cheli, for all of your patience and hard work. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know.

thanks cheli. I think most of us don't care what it's called, we just enjoy the group. :)

Hooray, we got a new name! I want to thank you too, Cheli, you've put a lot of work into making this challenge fun and interesting.

One last question...
would FROOT be okay

Finally Reading Our Own Tomes

#94> Waddaya think we are, a bunch of froot loops? Wait, come to think of it that was one of my favorite cereals as a kid, so I'm good with it.

I just hope "froot" doesn't mean something risque in Dutch or Afrikaans or some other language!

This group could be froot with all sorts of perils!

OK, got that out of my system. :)

This group could be froot with all sorts of perils! Okay, that made my day. :)

I'm just chiming in to say that I hope someone will post a link to the 2013 group once it gets created, since I'd really like to join (regardless of what it's called)! I definitely need to whittle down that TBR pile. (Not trying to rush anyone in any way, though -- I know these things take time!)

FROOT? LOL! Whatever! :)

Wow, why do people get so worked up about the name! It's a name, not some underground rebellious group. I go with whatever name. I do not care

I went with ROOT and the new group is setup here - http://www.librarything.com/topic/145388

I voted!

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