Co-founded by Mark Potts and Susan DeFife, Backfence.com goes live in the Virginia communities of Reston and McLean. The business model includes DIY display ads (rate card).
Free classifieds, photo gallery, interaction out the wazoo. This one is being watched, in part, because Potts, chairman and chief creative office, co-founded WashingtonPost.com. DeFife, president and CEO, comes from the local tech community.
Update: Coincidentally, today’s Post has a long feature about DC Urban Moms, a DC-area grassroots online community that one participant describes as “the new backyard fence.” The 5,000-plus member online support group has spawned spinoffs, interaction—and the kind of community passion the commercial Backfence will need to succeed.