I do think getting the communities to form is a challenge, and I think the challenge is even more difficult amongst non-nerd demographics.
I actually set up a slinkset site, http://www.bababase.com, a few months ago based on the very premise we're discussing, but I've had a tough time finding a way to get traction amongst a non-nerd crowd! (Moms, in this case.)
Moms are incredibly active on the web. All you need to do is get in with the "Mommy Blogger" crowd, which is quite large and influential, and tends towards activism.
iVillage is filled with moms, as are wahm message boards, etc., etc. Your audience is there, and they want what you've got, I'm sure.
You're totally right, and I appreciate the encouragement actually.
I'm really not the world's most phenomenal marketer or community organizer. It takes a lot of those two competencies to be successful in a social application endeavor. :/
Re:5 Reasons Why I Want Digg for Girls
by Frabjous-Dey on Tuesday November 18, 2008 @02:34PM
(#368595)
Incidentally, girl geeks I know seem to be drawn toward MetaFilter and Fark (!?).
I agree that MetaFilter is great. There's something about the monetary barrier to entry that keeps people from spouting nonsense that may get them banned or actively disliked.
Re:5 Reasons Why I Want Digg for Girls
by Frabjous-Dey on Tuesday November 18, 2008 @04:45PM
(#368769)
Yeah, they somehow managed to create a culture of militant literacy. Not bad.
The author is really saying two things:
- "I'm not interested in the articles that make the front page of Digg": a terrific reason not to use Digg.
- "If women had a Digg of their own, the articles on it would be much more relevant to me." Probably somewhat true. But I know plenty of female geeks who wouldn't give a shit about anything on weheartgossip or kirtsy.
The real goal here is to find a quality community that appeals to you. Unfortunately, this is not all that easy: not only are most people morons, you need a lot of people to be active in the same place for a social website to be worth visiting.