Internet communities are almost exclusively groups that come together around a single passion. The most self-reinforcing Internet communities are those which truly feed themselves. Bookcrossings.com is one of those site. User learn about the site after picking up books conspicuously left behind by other well-minded people already using the site. Inside the book, and it can be any book, is a unique ID and URL to the site. At the site the lucky book finder can see the ownership history of the book, read what they and anyone else thought of it and can then add they own opinions. Bookcrossings has drawn in over 300,000 users in four years from all over the globe and just last week they saw the two millionth book enter their system

I first learned of Bookcrossings.com as they were a fellow nominee for for a Webby and after a wonderfully active People’s Voice competition it appears they nosed Dogster out on the very last day. The comraderie and dialogue seen in their forums is strong and sincere.

It’s sites like Dogster and Bookcrossings and Flickr and Del.icio.us, and Last.fm and … which make it painfully clear to me that the best inspiration in community tools will continue to come from the ground up, built by only those who truly want to use them and understand the passion of the others that do.