UPDATE - January 23, 2012
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A group called Community Kitchen has been formed and is now in operation. You can learn more about that group and it's current activities by visiting the Community Kitchen group discussions. Everything I've written below about how the Community Kitchen operates, sharing keys, etc. is now obsolete. If you wish to become involved in the Community Kitchen group, please read About the Community Kitchen and request an invitation.
UPDATE - January 2, 2012
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I've set up my house for use as a shared cooking station by those who want to prepare food for the community. Of course, people can cook anywhere and give the food away anywhere. The purpose of having designated places is to create social spaces. A private house (with shared keys) for cooking and a public space for distribution create two different kinds of social space.
The purpose of the cooking station is to provide an opportunity for people to work together in a private space where their actions will not impact others and where the actions of others will not impact them. Also, I will be trying to stock my house with ingredients, so there's the convenience of that. I'd be glad to rotate houses designated as a cooking station rather than use my house for this full-time. All it takes is for someone to say "Let's use my house next week" and for others to agree.
I'm not sure yet what's the best way to distribute the food that's been cooked. For now, I'll be putting some in front of my house and taking some to the large model home in Alakol. Ur is a big place, so it might be a good idea to rotate or have multiple places where food is made available for the community. I welcome ideas and continued discussion about this. Those who wish to join in using my house as a cooking station should make the food they prepare available to the community as they best see fit.
I am willing to share a key with anyone who is at least level 25 and who (1) wishes to cook for the community, (2) is willing to cooperate with others in deciding what's OK and what's not OK in houses we share for this purpose, and (3) who clearly indicates that they want a key and that they understand the purpose of having a key. If you're not yet level 25, you're welcome to come and cook anytime I'm at home. If I get to know you, I may, at my discretion give you a key before you reach level 25. If you want a key and you haven't yet gotten one, you can post here, send me in-game mail, or IM me. Just let me know that you've read this post and that you want a key.
I'm not sure yet what's the best way to distribute the food that's been cooked. For now, I'll be putting some in front of my house and taking some to the large model home in Alakol. Ur is a big place, so it might be a good idea to rotate or have multiple places where food is made available for the community.
Everything below is older stuff that I've left for reference.
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UPDATE - January 1, 2012
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Because of the way house keys work, my original idea will not work. The alternative suggested is to use one or more private homes to prepare food, and then to share food in a public area. Several have suggested using a public area in a residential quarter. The downside to this is that it may create traffic and activities in a residential quarter that have a negative impact on residents of that quarter.
There's another current thread Take a walk and take a rest in Commune Model Home! that describes using a model home for a purpose similar to what I have in mind. That venue could be used instead of a residential quarter as a place for sharing food. I'm not sure if this is better than using a residential quarter, but I thought I'd bring it up for comment.
So I'm now proposing that we use private homes with shared keys for food preparation and that we rotate which home we use on a weekly basis. I'm also proposing that we create a "network of trust" for sharing keys. That means I'm willing to give a key to anyone I've come to know and trust, and to anyone they tell me they've come to know and trust. If someone who hasn't made contacts wants to help, I will be glad to let them into my home when I'm there so we can work together and get to know each other.
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WindBorn has called my attention to an old thread that has ideas for creating social spaces in Glitch. One of those ideas was to create a community kitchen. I like this idea, and I propose to try to implement it using my house. I will give keys to my house to anyone who wants to help staff the community kitchen. I can't make it work on my own, because I'm not online often enough. A community kitchen will be most effective if it is available 24/7.
I currently have a cottage house in Groddle Meadow. I moved there from my treehouse in Aranna (which I still love!) because I hoped to somehow make my house into a resource for others -- and I realized that a more central location would be helpful. There's currently food on the floor, intended for drop-by visitors. There's a crops garden that could be used to raise food for the kitchen. It also could be used by people who have crops-related quests and no crops garden of their own. There's five patches. One currently has a bean tree, the others are empty with a seasoned bean sitting by each (for possible use by those needing to plant for a quest).
The kitchen could be a place where anyone can come and eat, bring ingredients, cook, or just hang out. Anyone interested in helping with this?
UPDATE: Big problem with this is that I don't think people with keys can open the door - only the owner. Perhaps TS would be willing to let a bunch of us create a shared alt that could function as the house "owner" and thus be able to open the door 24/7?
UPDATE 2: If key holders can open the door, then I'm glad to go forward using my house for this.
UPDATE 3: Multiple sources have confirmed that only the owners of a house can open the door to anyone who knocks. I've put in a help case asking TS about creating a shared alt. In the meantime, alternative ways of making this happened are being discussed below.
If you want to read a rather lengthly account of the thinking that brought me to this proposal, you can find it here.