FoodSpotting's Tech Has Been Stagnant

Image via WikipediaYesterday as I spotted this exotic Ecuadorian dish I realized I had not blogged about FoodSpotting in a while. I guess the service had some good news at the last Facebook conference (I have not yet seen the video). (The HTML5 Whimper At F8)

Is it just me or FoodSpotting has looked the same since its inception?

I feel like I am done spotting the Desi dishes and now I want to venture out and spot global dishes. My next dish to spot might be Afghan.

What I feel is lacking is when you spot a dish you should have the option to show up for an eatup that is in direct relation.

A Small, Historic EatUp

The critical mass might not be there yet. But it will get there. An eatup self-organized around a particular food type or restaurant. You meet people who are passionate or curious about a particular food type.
Image via CrunchBase
FoodSpotting should become social and become an excuse to meet people, strangers. It should become a little bit like Chatroulette. Only there is no video camera involved. And it is offline, it is real. It is local.

My FoodSpotting Photos Are Being Viewed
FoodSpotting API
Twitter ---> Instagram ---> FoodSpotting
FoodSpotting's Dish As Starting Point

Or maybe even take it online. You get to video chat with people who are passionate about similar kinds of food, passionate or curious. I was not passionate about Ecuadorian food, but I was curious. That was a nice dinner.

Sean Parker's AirTime Could Net Him Tens Of Billions

The FoodSpotting Android App Is Here

Image via CrunchBaseTed Grubb: the man behind the myth.
Spotted Blog: The FoodSpotting Android App Is Here!
Mashable: FoodSpotting Comes To Android
Fred Wilson: Mobile Notifications
TechCrunch: Android Users Get An Official Taste Of Foodspotting Just In Time For SXSW

The iPhone app took FoodSpotting to 600,000 downloads and counting. The recent Instagram integration - Instagram is on its way to overtaking FourSquare and Gowalla combined - is worth at least a million downloads. And this Android app is worth 1.5 million downloads and on.

I say power to the people. Power to the masses.

Now launch a campaign for food trucks that says FoodSpotting Certified!

Soraya Darabi In New York Magazine

Foodspotting Co-Founder Soraya Darabi Likes to Pick Food Off Other People’s Plates, Doesn’t Advocate Gummy Bears for Lunch

Happy FoodSpotting Day Soraya Darabi

Image by lizstless via Flickr

Okay, so FoodSpotting Day was yesterday, but I just noticed my Soraya Darabi blog post for the first time has become a top five blog post for the week at this blog. Most of that traffic is, I believe, coming from Google. Looks like a lot of people are doing searches on her name.

Fractals And FoodSpotting

I don't know but I am guessing there are a few different players in what I call the specific check in space, but I only know one: FoodSpotting. And if there are others, FoodSpotting sure has the best seat in the house. Checking into a book, or movie or music is not actually checking in. It is not location specific. The Like button by any other name.

Much of the special going out involves eating and drinking for many people. And each such check in place, by definition, is a business. Caching. As opposed to when someone checks into Central Park - and people do - that is hard to monetize. Street vendors: don't count on them.