Social Networking Sites

So I've been on Ravelry for over a year now. When I first found it, I was amazed at the ingenuity of the concept. A niche website that integrated social networking with both user-generated databases as well as personal inventories that catered to specifically to the niche. Given someone with enough knowledge of a niche and the skills to create such an interactive website, one could revolutionize the online world of that niche and become THE resource for anyone interested in that niche.

Just recently with my new found interest in board games, I found the site BoardGameGeek. Much to my surprise, they have been doing this since as far back as 2004. Reflective of its "geeky" nature, the site is more cluttered than Ravelry and carries a Web 1.0 look and feel. Don't let that fool you, however. They have an active community and as evidenced by numerous Google searches relating to board games, is THE source for Board Gaming knowledge on the net.

I also recently found a site regarding books called GoodReads. I've been to a few websites before that were similar, but it seems GoodReads has taken the extra step. Like Ravelry, it exhibits a clean Web 2.0 style. You can place books on your "shelf" and mark them as read, currently reading, or plan to read.

I wonder how many other niche knowledge-driven community sites there are. The idea really resonates with my inner organizer. These websites seem like the kinds of projects I could wholeheartedly sink my teeth into. Too bad they're usually 1-2 man operations that earn very little money and do not have the resources to hire and train a newbie like myself.