Open Source Proposal: Please forward link to whoever may be interested.
Response and additional suggestions will be incorporated in this blog.
In the past month after the Lockdown, I have spend loads of money on Amazon Fresh, and Amazon pantry purchases. I have been asking my young friends to make an open software to facilitate and coordinate local e-tailing. Apparently Reliance and Facebook are planning a similar venture but a centralised data system.
The app will be different from Amazon, in that local shop can actually upload pix of current stock, and prices on a daily basis. It will also have a "reputation" score of each seller, delivery boy/girl and crpto system for local credit/exchange system using block chain in a locally supervised server. The data can be housed in a local cyber cafe with good computer facilities and Static IP address.
My proposal is to encourage local youth to form cooperatives with residents and local kirana shops, food outlets, veggie vendors and local residents - including pauwala, women making items like pickles, take-ways, dabbas at home do e-tailing locally, so that local youth can be employed.
Every two hours, the local youth goes from shop to shop collecting your selection and make a onetime delivery. Also you can pay on line or on delivery. You perhaps could pick your own delivery boy.. or do it yourself..
Now that various political parties are trying to come together to form alternatives. It is time we give these kinds of ideas, so that their youth wings can take these up and they can become part of the Common Minimum Programme. Local NGOs, SHGs and Youth Groups, Faith based groups who have experience in Cooperatives, micro-enterprises could be roped in.. to develop a rapport between youth groups, parties and civil society
Interactions with Friends
PG This is precisely what Jio is going to do along with Facebook. Aggregating local level kiranas.
ED They have the necessary bandwidth, . At one end of the spectrum Jio has a place at the table with Modi just as Facebook has the same not just with Biden but almost the entire Democrat Party. Colossal financial and other clout goes without saying. What John is attempting to suggest is laudable in principle and can conceivably be worked on over the very long term. More than over the span of 2 GEs at least is my conservative guess. There are too many imponderables. In my limited experience of trying to set up something like this at a very local level with the participation of local groups and communities in many parts of the country didn’t end up too well, although some of them had good beginning. Nevertheless, I would cheer any reasonable effort in this direction. I am (was?) the eternal optimist experiencing some cynicism around my edges.
[16:33, 24/05/2021] RB: Wefast does that on a more high cost model.
Better still, all our regular shop keepers are doing this any way. sometimes they dont have fellows to deliver but we order on phone, he keeps packet ready, tells me exact cost. I dash by hand over cash and pick up packet ....it takes 20 seconds.at the shop.
Response: I forgot to mention.. that when in quarantine, we did an arrangement with a medical store, to home deliver based on on-line transfer. But they were not able to cope with the phone ins.. It took time, and noting.. so I would have to dial at least three times to get through.
In an app, you have first a cart system, so instead of making a shopping list.. you just choose .. fresh pau from one person, eggs from another, milk from the dairy, veggies from your favourite veggie guy, than kirana. There are also women who are making pickles or food items at home, then a stationary shop for your pen. Should include the local thelawala, handcarts? Also the weekly stalls ..
You then move to payment which can be a single on-line payment for all items. No issue of change, cash withdrawal etc.
You then can choose you delivery boy or girl, and since they are from the neighbourhood you will probably know if them, you can check their BGs, ratings but as references from people whom your know etc..
Once you have a Coop, or perhaps two in one or two or three in one neighborhood, you could offer servcies as well. Electrician, Plumbers, waste recyclers. In our colony, every Sunday we get women from nearby villages who come with a few veggies and condiments. They could also be brought into this, so you know on a Friday what is on offer and get your order on Sunday.
And in any case they cant stay at home all the time.. so they will want to go out! In my colony many people have regular businesses have started small shops, making cakes, dosas, as their businesses are caput.
And the CODERS. I am for developing an open source software which local boys can use and run on their own computers. Every area has a computer shop, cyber cafe, and code savvy youth, who can service these things. rather than the vulture capitalists, who will then sell off to google or facebook or whatsapp!! or good old reliable??
I forgot to mention.. that the medical store, was not able to cope with the phone ins.. It took time, and noting.. so I would have to dial at least three times to get through.
Other Enterprise ideas:
Home made Soap.