Todays take-away is strictly client-server. You phone the pizza place, they make the pizza and take it to your house.

For a bit of variety, log onto the local neighbourhood Take-Away Hub.

If you're cooking (or planning to cook) food yourself today, type in what you're cooking (= sharing) and when it will be available, and how many portions. For instance: "Pan-cakes, 4 portions, 7-8pm".

If you're interested in sampling someone elses cuisine, search for what you want ("spring rolls") and register your request.

At regular intervals, people running the local Hub drive around to pick up and deliver the food.

If you share food, you get "meal points", that are ticked off when you "download" food.
-- Brummo, Oct 14 2003

Make sure you include an eBay-style participant feedback system. Everyone's taste in cooking is a bit different, and any system like this could be abused. Feedback gives you a tool to battle that.
-- krelnik, Oct 14 2003


Would you really trust food delivered this way?
-- phoenix, Oct 14 2003


But if you were cooking a lovely meal yourself, then why would you... - oh, never mind.
-- hippo, Oct 14 2003


krelnik/phoenix: I am not expecting this system to be anonymous. The Hub service company will know where you live etc (so they can fetch/deliver) and keep track of abusers. They could also do a preliminary screening on any food to be delivered.

hippo: You needn't send off all your cooking, just some extra portions. This day you eat your own cooking. The day after, skip cooking and get something from the Hub.

A more time-insensitive food exchange may be for more durable things, such as cookies etc (bake the kind of cookies you are the best at, and swap through the network)
-- Brummo, Oct 14 2003


Sorry, I'll stick with a la carte.
-- phoenix, Oct 14 2003


Until sume psycho poisons his lasagna.
-- Face, Oct 15 2003


or you could call it "potluck pantry"...
-- aquamarine, Oct 15 2003


this would be a good friendster hack or addition to prevent the pyscho you can rely on your network
-- Floppo, Oct 15 2003


I don't get why anyone would do this. If you want spring rolls, why not just make spring rolls for yourself?
-- waugsqueke, Oct 15 2003


Perhaps you're not very good at making spring rolls but you can do a fantastic omelette.
-- DrBob, Oct 15 2003


Great. Takes me back to the days of school packed-lunches. Everybody swapped the thing that their mum *always* packed. I now look back at myself, swapping a huge piece of home made sponge cake with home made jam and whipped cream sandwiched in the middle...for a kitkat. The grass is always greener etc.
-- squeak, Oct 15 2003


Definitely some creativity here.
-- RayfordSteele, Oct 15 2003


yep, I like this a lot. If anyone wants some mints, I've got loads at work in WC2
-- neilp, Oct 15 2003


Food service industry in uproar over "peer-to-peer food sharing" service

WASHINGTON (AP) - Lobbyists for the food service industry, along with industry workers carrying placards and utensils, descended upon Washington today in an effort to raise consciousness to a perceived threat to the industry: the Snackster food sharing service.

The service creates a central hub through which contributers share and trade food items. Industry leaders say that by taking control of food preparation and distribution out of the hands of the industry, the service costs jobs and robs the nation's top food artists of their hard-earned bread.

"The question isn't whether peer-to-peer or any particular technology is good or bad," said Steven J. Anderson, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, "The question is whether they're going to be used -- whether they'll respect what artists create. When consumers create and distribute their own food without paying us for it, the chefs and engineers that create cuisine itself are robbed of their just rewards."

Well-known food personality Emeril Lagasse put it more bluntly: "I don't know where you come from, but where I come from, steak don't come from the guy down the street. I mean, do they even know who's making their dinner? They don't. I'm not making this up. You want good food, you get it from a professional, you know what I'm saying? Otherwise I'm out of a job here."

He added, "This does not make me happy happy."

Expressing a contrary opinion, one spokesperson from a major fast food chain was quoted as saying, "Rubble rubble," but was quickly surpressed by Officer Big Mac.
-- darksasami, Oct 15 2003


It'll work fine until someone spreads a virus.
-- Worldgineer, Oct 15 2003



random, halfbakery