Folks, I need to ask for some help.

Like many, I have some go-to examples of great communities. This includes Wikipedia, OpenStreetmap, Ubuntu, Debian, Linux, and others. Many of these are software related, many of them are Open Source.

I would like to ask your feedback for other examples of great communities. These don’t have to be software-related…in fact I would love to see examples of great communities in other areas and disciplines.

They could be collaborative communities, communities that share a common interest, communities that process big chunks of data, communities that inspire and educate certain groups (e.g. kids, under-privilaged), or anything else.

I am looking for inspiring examples that get to the heart of what makes communities *beautiful*. These don’t have to be huge and elaborate communities, they just need to demonstrate the power of people sharing a mission or ethos and doing interesting things.

Please share your examples in the comments, and in doing so, please share the following:

* The name of the community
* A web address / contact person
* Overview of the community, what it does, and why you feel it is special

Thanks!