CuriousFox started life as "The village by village contact site for anybody researching family history, genealogy and local history in the UK and Ireland." It now has a division for the United States that includes cities.
The site was founded by one of the major contributors to genealogy categories on the former Zeal website, a volunteer-created search engine.
There is a page for each village (with messages and links to maps and nearby places), after someone submits info for that village.
Free membership allows one to add entries, search surnames, and send messages to paid members.
Paid membership (far from exorbitant) allows the sending of messages to all members and adds the following features:
- Add a profile
- Submit an URL
- New entry alerts for any village being watched
There was a "Beta" version for the USA available to registered members in 2010 but by 2021 it had become fully functional.
Familypedia has a similar but totally free structure in place for counties anywhere in the world and can accommodate discussions about any settlements.