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Bots are typically used to buy out a limited supply of something like concert tickets. Clicking quickly or responding immediately to availability changes wouldn

Bots are typically used to buy out a limited supply of something like concert tickets. Clicking quickly or responding immediately to availability changes wouldn't give bots any advantage when there's nothing but a FIFO queue. If I were setting this up for a grocery delivery platform, I would require the delivery address be provided upfront to enter the queue. Validate and standardize the address using the official Postal Service API (in the US). Prohibit changing the delivery address once in the queue, and prohibit the same address from appearing in the queue multiple times. Those requirements eliminate the mechanical possibility and incentive to partake in any sort of hoarding or profiteering using bots.

xzel 7y ago
But unfortunately there are a limited number of per day delivery slots, so bots will own anything FIFO. They will monitor the page and be the first ones in. There also aren’t really fully standardized addresses per se, it’s actually kinda weird, but what’s stopping anyone using the apartment number next to them and receiving the delivery when notified?
- gruez 7y ago
  >But unfortunately there are a limited number of per day delivery slots I guess the idea is to put everyone in one queue, rather than having separate queues per day/slot. Presumably this isn't an issue since everyone's on lockdown anyways, so they're always available to accept a delivery.
  - squeaky-clean 7y ago
    But there are only so many delivery people. 1,000 delivery people simply cannot give 2,000 people their groceries within a 1 hour window. The timeslots manage when the deliveries occur. People also sleep at different times, and some essential employees are still working, so you can't simply deliver the groceries to everyone without a known time.
  - reaperducer 7y ago
    I guess the idea is to put everyone in one queue, rather than having separate queues per day/slot. And now you've just excluded all the doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, and their families from using the service.
- cortesoft 7y ago
  Just let people order far in advance then?

xzel 7y ago

But unfortunately there are a limited number of per day delivery slots, so bots will own anything FIFO. They will monitor the page and be the first ones in. There also aren’t really fully standardized addresses per se, it’s actually kinda weird, but what’s stopping anyone using the apartment number next to them and receiving the delivery when notified?

gruez 7y ago
>But unfortunately there are a limited number of per day delivery slots I guess the idea is to put everyone in one queue, rather than having separate queues per day/slot. Presumably this isn't an issue since everyone's on lockdown anyways, so they're always available to accept a delivery.
- squeaky-clean 7y ago
  But there are only so many delivery people. 1,000 delivery people simply cannot give 2,000 people their groceries within a 1 hour window. The timeslots manage when the deliveries occur. People also sleep at different times, and some essential employees are still working, so you can't simply deliver the groceries to everyone without a known time.
- reaperducer 7y ago
  I guess the idea is to put everyone in one queue, rather than having separate queues per day/slot. And now you've just excluded all the doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, and their families from using the service.
cortesoft 7y ago
Just let people order far in advance then?