Idea For A New Website-

[GeoffCJ]

I had an idea for a new website. I love eating out, and it's so tough to do now. I also travel a lot.

I had an idea that would combine some of the features of this forum (not celiac.com, but the restaurant forum) and do a google mashup for mapping.

Key Features:

Users can add restaurants

Users can rate restaurants on a variety of things, including gluten-free choices, knowledge, etc.

You could make your review for a single location, or for a chain.

The reviews would link straight to gluten-free menus (if available)

Other food allergy information could be included too.

Information would be dated, so you could tell easily how recent a review had been updated.

All information could be added by a user with a simple web form.

Those restaurants would all be mapped on a google map, so it'd be searchable, especially by location. So if you're in an area, you can enter the address and see restaurants and their reviews, and how far away it is. Essentially the same as google maps does now, but customized with gluten free info.

Questions for you guys:

If such a page existed, how likely would you be to use it?

How likely would you be to contribute information?

Have you seen anything like this elsewhere?

I have the skills to build such a site, and hosting it would be relatively inexpensive, enough that hopefully a small amount of advertising could support it. I just would like to know if something like that would be useful before I build it.

Thanks,

Geoff

[gfp]

My experience is it is incredibly difficult to get users to give input....

Once your site is a reality to can't mention it here anymore (see rules) ... which leaves you trying to build up regular users and most people seem to prefer to just ask questions here or other established sites....

IMHO its a shame because a decent rating system could be put in place, peoples experiences etc. and this is much better when you have feet on the ground...

In most few instances people will take the information, thank you profusely and never contribute a single word or click.

In many cases I then found they would write up trips places like here so then you can't even use what they have said because of copyright... so they take your resto list, put it on here and then you can't even use the review they write...

You will need a lot of energy to get this rolling.... IMHO

I am quickly getting to the point where I can't be bothered anymore, I have probably over 1000 emails saying how useful the site is and perhaps 10 comments people added through a webform. I have to deal with the SPAM and occaisional DDOS attacks etc. and noone thinks its even worth 5 minutes of their time to make a post or write a small review?

My web comment form is used more often for SPAM than it is for its intended purpose.. the forum had attacks from fundamentalist Christians telling my users they should repent and seek forgivness and that celiac is a punishment from God.

I doubt I would do this again...

[Nantzie]

I think that's a WONDERFUL idea!! Especially the part where the user could add a restaurant or tourist location right then and there.

I've seen a few sites that are trying, but it's usually very limited and not very useful on a large scale. A good example of this is Open Original Shared Link . If you pull down the drop-down box for the state, you'll see that there are only 11 states to choose from. Every other gluten-free restaurants or travel site I've seen has similar limitations.

The town I'm moving to (Folsom, CA) actually has an ice cream shop where either the owner or someone in the owner's family has celiac. They have gluten-free cones, know what ice cream flavors are gluten-free and know how to protect against CC.

I also was thinking about gluten-free travel earlier today and came across a place in Italy where a chef with celiac basically opens his home up to you (a bed and breakfast type thing) and cooks for you, tells you where to go do the tourist thing, etc. How amazing would that be to be able to put that information and website on your site to share with other people just because you came across it?

Just being able to see where the nearest Outback or PF Chang is when you're out of town would be really useful as well.

Nancy

[dionnek]

I think it's a great idea and would definitely use it (and add all my places I eat at - I eat out quite often still and am usually not glutened) I don't know anything about the "rules", etc. though, but if you do it I would tell my support groups here in ATL and I"m sure others would use it/contribute.

[jayhawkmom]

There is something similar already out there:

Open Original Shared Link

Different, yet... same idea, same concept. Not as involved though! =)

[Nantzie]

  gfp said:

Once your site is a reality to can't mention it here anymore (see rules) ... which leaves you trying to build up regular users and most people seem to prefer to just ask questions here or other established sites....

Ahh... I knew there was a rule about not advertising of course. I didn't realize that you couldn't mention something. That must be why now Nini can't mention her Newbie Survival Kit, but if you go to her profile there's a link to her website that has it. Other members do refer newbies to her, but that would be within the rules since it's not their site.

Hmmm... I wonder if Scott would approve of a new section of the forum where a person who has a site or whatever would be able to do something like ONE post a month (or even just one post, period) in a specified area advertising their site or business. Any other mention would be subject to the rules already in place.

On other boards I'm on they have this type of thing. It's really common on mom's boards, especially SAHMs (stay-at-home moms) what with the different Pampered Chef and Tupperware -type business everyone is always going in and out of. Sometimes it's even a section where it's read-only (no replies or discussion).

I think that would be a cool thing to have here. I'll have to PM Scott and see what he says.

Nancy

[GeoffCJ]

  Nantzie said:

The town I'm moving to (Folsom, CA) actually has an ice cream shop where either the owner or someone in the owner's family has celiac. They have gluten-free cones, know what ice cream flavors are gluten-free and know how to protect against CC.

That's exactly the type of info I'd want to capture. I live near Folsom and I didn't even know that!!!

Geoff

[ginghamkim]

Wonderful idea!!! I would use it quite often.

[ginghamkim]

Wonderful idea!!! I would use it quite often.

[Nantzie]

  GeoffCJ said:

That's exactly the type of info I'd want to capture. I live near Folsom and I didn't even know that!!!

Geoff

You're kidding me!!! You're like the third person this week I've found out lives near me.

I'm in Antelope right now. It turns out there is one member here who lives about 1/4 mile from where I live in Antelope, and another member who lives within a couple miles. Too bad I'm moving.

There's also another member in Roseville.

Small world huh?

I was thinking about organizing a gluten-free potluck at some point in the spring/summer, maybe at a park. It would be nice to get some people together.

I found a message board for Folsom and posted a message asking if there were any other people with celiac. I got a reply from a guy whose daughter has celiac. He's the one who told me about the ice cream shop. He also says that the Mimi's and the BJ's in Folsom are really good about accommodating her food restrictions and take it seriously. There is also a chinese restaurant in Folsom at E. Natoma and Blue Ravine that carries a wheat free soy sauce and can make a lot of things gluten-free.

The Elliott's in Folsom also has a good gluten-free section, with a lot of Kinnikinnik stuff (look for the donuts in the freezer section).

I got a PM from someone asking for more information on the B&B in Italy run by someone with celiac. Here's the link for that. Open Original Shared Link

Nancy

[bookbabie]

I would love a site like that. I'm planning a trip to CA in March, driving from San Diego to Napa and stressing a little about doing a road trip. Trying to gather info from here and there plus figure out how to pack light but still bring along some gluten-free snacks. I also like the idea of a forum thread that it would be okay for folks with gluten-free sites to promote themselves on.

[CMCM]

Nancy, where in Folsom is that ice cream shop? (I go there occasionally) I'm dying for a cone!

Carole

  Nantzie said:

I think that's a WONDERFUL idea!! Especially the part where the user could add a restaurant or tourist location right then and there.

I've seen a few sites that are trying, but it's usually very limited and not very useful on a large scale. A good example of this is Open Original Shared Link . If you pull down the drop-down box for the state, you'll see that there are only 11 states to choose from. Every other gluten-free restaurants or travel site I've seen has similar limitations.

The town I'm moving to (Folsom, CA) actually has an ice cream shop where either the owner or someone in the owner's family has celiac. They have gluten-free cones, know what ice cream flavors are gluten-free and know how to protect against CC.

I also was thinking about gluten-free travel earlier today and came across a place in Italy where a chef with celiac basically opens his home up to you (a bed and breakfast type thing) and cooks for you, tells you where to go do the tourist thing, etc. How amazing would that be to be able to put that information and website on your site to share with other people just because you came across it?

Just being able to see where the nearest Outback or PF Chang is when you're out of town would be really useful as well.

Nancy

[Gibby]

These postings are ove a year old so I hope you're still living in this area. I called the Tasty Time at Blue Ravin in Folsom and they definitely have gluten free ice cream and yogurts and even gluten free cones. My husband was just diagnosed with celiac last September and we're still trying to adjust to it. We haven't tried Tasty Time yet but I'll let you know as soon as we do. With the heat this weekend I'm sure we'll get there soon.

Mimi's does offer a gluten free menu and Jennifer the bartender at Black Angus is great at telling us what my husband can or can't eat and checks with the chef if she's not sure (she's going to school to be a nurse)

We travel to the Whole Foods at Arden Way in Sacramento for gluten free food. They have a great selection of Amy's, Glutino frozen foods that are gluten free. The rice crackers by Blue Diamond are very good and they also have frozen sausages, pretzels, beef jerky, and cookies that pass my husband's taste test. And they are cheaper than Elliott's. It'll be great when they open the new Whole Foods they're building off of Bidwell in Folsom.

Diane

  Nantzie said:

You're kidding me!!! You're like the third person this week I've found out lives near me.

I'm in Antelope right now. It turns out there is one member here who lives about 1/4 mile from where I live in Antelope, and another member who lives within a couple miles. Too bad I'm moving.

There's also another member in Roseville.

Small world huh?

I was thinking about organizing a gluten-free potluck at some point in the spring/summer, maybe at a park. It would be nice to get some people together.

I found a message board for Folsom and posted a message asking if there were any other people with celiac. I got a reply from a guy whose daughter has celiac. He's the one who told me about the ice cream shop. He also says that the Mimi's and the BJ's in Folsom are really good about accommodating her food restrictions and take it seriously. There is also a chinese restaurant in Folsom at E. Natoma and Blue Ravine that carries a wheat free soy sauce and can make a lot of things gluten-free.

The Elliott's in Folsom also has a good gluten-free section, with a lot of Kinnikinnik stuff (look for the donuts in the freezer section).

I got a PM from someone asking for more information on the B&B in Italy run by someone with celiac. Here's the link for that. Open Original Shared Link

Nancy

[gf princess]

Hi,

I travel a lot and I stress out being out of my comfort zone. But I try to take it one day at a time. It's definately getting easier.

There are sites like you mentioned.

www.glutenfreerestaurants.org

www.glutenfreeregistry.com

www.glutenfreeceliacweb.com