I like this, Matt!
Patch 680 (http://patchwork.newartisans.com/patch/680/) is now "Accepted".
Maintainer comment: none
This relates to the following submission:
http://mid.gmane.org/%3C87y64ji2hj.fsf%40fastmail.fm%3E
Here is the original message containing the patch:
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> MIME-Version: 1.0
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
> Subject: [O] New option to create unique, random labels for footnotes.
> Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:50:59 -0000
> From: Matt Lundin <mdl@imapmail.org>
> X-Patchwork-Id: 680
> Message-Id: <87y64ji2hj.fsf@fastmail.fm>
> To: Org Mode <emacs-orgmode@gnu.org>
>
> * lisp/org-footnote.el: (org-footnote-auto-label): New random option
> * lisp/org-footnote.el: (org-footnote-new): Create random footnote
> labels with unique ids
>
> ---
> lisp/org-footnote.el | 16 ++++++++++++----
> 1 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/lisp/org-footnote.el b/lisp/org-footnote.el
> index 2ce6668..9dbd6be 100644
> --- a/lisp/org-footnote.el
> +++ b/lisp/org-footnote.el
> @@ -113,12 +113,14 @@ t create unique labels of the form [fn:1], [fn:2], ...
> confirm like t, but let the user edit the created value. In particular,
> the label can be removed from the minibuffer, to create
> an anonymous footnote.
> +random Automatically generate a unique, random label.
> plain Automatically create plain number labels like [1]"
> :group 'org-footnote
> :type '(choice
> (const :tag "Prompt for label" nil)
> (const :tag "Create automatic [fn:N]" t)
> (const :tag "Offer automatic [fn:N] for editing" confirm)
> + (const :tag "Create a random label" random)
> (const :tag "Create automatic [N]" plain)))
>
> (defcustom org-footnote-auto-adjust nil
> @@ -253,16 +255,22 @@ This command prompts for a label. If this is a label referencing an
> existing label, only insert the label. If the footnote label is empty
> or new, let the user edit the definition of the footnote."
> (interactive)
> - (let* ((labels (org-footnote-all-labels))
> + (let* ((labels (and (not (equal org-footnote-auto-label 'random))
> + (org-footnote-all-labels)))
> (propose (org-footnote-unique-label labels))
> (label
> - (if (member org-footnote-auto-label '(t plain))
> - propose
> + (cond
> + ((member org-footnote-auto-label '(t plain))
> + propose)
> + ((equal org-footnote-auto-label 'random)
> + (require 'org-id)
> + (substring (org-id-uuid) 0 8))
> + (t
> (completing-read
> "Label (leave empty for anonymous): "
> (mapcar 'list labels) nil nil
> (if (eq org-footnote-auto-label 'confirm) propose nil)
> - 'org-footnote-label-history))))
> + 'org-footnote-label-history)))))
> (setq label (org-footnote-normalize-label label))
> (cond
> ((equal label "")
>