This is Not a Cheesesteak: new Tumblr follows the worst cheesesteak variations

From Tumblr user anacrisi, and referenced on This is Not a Cheesesteak.

Cheesesteaks don’t have to be just another cliche we’re saddled with, says Michaelangelo Ilagan.

The SAP web designer and Geekadelphia contributor is embracing the 80-year-old native hoagie variation by chronicling how far, wide and wrongly it has spread. Meet This is Not a Cheesesteak, a Tumblr that Ilagan is curating to collect new takes on the steak sandwich standard that he considers an insult to our roots.

“Unlike Rocky, we’re not revering something fictional. @visitphilly called it ‘Cheesesteak Pride’ when they tweeted a link to my Tumblr,” said Ilagan, 27, who goes by Mikey Il. “Let’s make that a thing. The cheesesteak is 100 percent real and absolutely delicious when done right.”

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Podcamp Philly 2011 broadens focus, podcasting joined by more online media

Podcamp Philly registration table seen above. Photo by Theresa Regan.

The following is a report done in partnership with Temple University’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods program, the capstone class for the Temple’s Department of Journalism.

Online media beyond podcasting played a large role Saturday at the fifth annual Podcamp Philly, held in the Tuttleman Learning Center at Temple University.

“[The event] started out being focused toward podcasting and video podcasting and has really grown to encompass everything from blogging to social media tools,” Linda Whitney Hoffman, the director of operations for Podcamp Philly said. “It’s about teaching people to share information, not just online media.”

Graphic design, content strategy, business basics and the social media giants all were discussed in multiple sessions, among other topics that don’t directly touch podcasting.

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Michael Nutter answers resident questions on NBC 10 Ask the Mayor program [VIDEO]

In a unique town hall of sorts befitting of the times, Mayor Nutter answered resident questions by way of email, Twitter and Facebook put to him on NBC 10 this week, as we reported, during its Ask the Mayor program.

NBC 10 has since posted video of the entire hour-long event. Watch the first of five segments below and the rest of the segments here:

NBC 10 hosts Ask the Mayor: Michael Nutter to live tweet, answer questions Sept. 27

In an effort to continue to highlight the administration’s social media affection, Mayor Nutter will appear on a special program hosted by NBC 10 on Tues. Sept. 27 at 7 p.m., in which he will answer resident questions that are emailed, tweeted or, yes, posted on Facebook.

The event will also be livestreamed online. Check out more details on NBC Philadelphia here.

Yelp: a look at local attitudes for the online customer review giant

A cozy restaurant-bar sits on a street corner in Northern Liberties.

The decor is unassuming yet quirky, full of warm woods and cartoon pigs with Xs for eyes on the walls, light fixtures and menus. A handwritten chalkboard list displays the beers on tap and today’s special: Cabernet served in a mason jar for $3.

This is The Blind Pig, and Steven Brewer and his wife drove up from the suburbs of Philadelphia to eat dinner here one sweltering August evening. Although it’s only been open for about a month, he knew he had to try their signature Thanksgiving Balls: deep-fried turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing served with gravy and cranberry sauce.

Brewer, like two million others on any given day, used the popular customer review site Yelp to help him decide on that night’s dinner spot. It’s the modern soapbox and megaphone, and anyone can step up. While this can be a tremendous resource for both customers and business owners, visitors to Yelp should tread carefully, as—like anything else online—you can’t take everything that’s been “Yelped” at face value.

A week after Google made news for purchasing Zagat and two years following a failed bid to take over Yelp, what does the local scene of the wildly popular online customer review site look like?

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Hurricane Irene: Storify praising City of Philadelphia social media coverage of storm

Add this to the list of reasons that the world has changed.

Hurricane Irene hit the region this past weekend, and the City of Philadelphia had its social media accounts active, particularly on Twitter by way of @Philly311 and @PhillyOEM and the two men on top @Michael_Nutter and @RichNegrin.

“This was the first time, here at least, that we had a hurricane by social media,” Negrin told Technically Philly.

The story might have ended there, but then City of Philadelphia officials went and did a Storify of the praise they received online.

Check it out below.

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Philly Steakout: Neiman Group uses Foursquare checkins to rank cheesesteak joints

For as limiting as the cliche can be, a social web outpost for cheesesteaks is long overdue.

While we’ve seen reviews and aggregations, lists and the like before, the new Philly Steakout project from the Center City marketing and design shop Neiman Group is a new height. Since April, the team has been tracking Foursquare checkins for the 25 cheesesteak joints that were called the best by Inquirer food critic Craig Laban’s landmark 2002 Cheesesteak Project.

Supplemented by the Yelp API and check-in breakdowns split between tourists and locals, who live within 20 miles of a given steak shop, Philly Steakout ranks the legends by registered visits.

Pat’s, Geno’s and Jim’s predictably top the list, but give it a look for more.

#phillyquotes trending on Twitter

For an amusing diversion, take notice that, as of 11 p.m., the #phillyquotes meme was trending across all of Twitter and flowing with considerable local flavor.

Some of our favorites:

• “Let me get 4 wings saltpepppaketchupnhotsauce” @sawngbyrd28
• “it’s bumper to bumper on 76″ @AlexontheMic
• “The Flyers are making a change in goal.” @danno2530
• Dat Youngbul @Chelz_Penn
• Yeerrrrrrrrrrpppppppp *From Across The Street* @ohNO…
• In Philly we drink wuder @Jessewelle
• lol jawn mean anything @NEVERworeaWEAVE
• “Motherf’n Jersey drivers!” @NickyBigtime
• How bout them Phillies. 9 runs in one inning. @JonasWorld13
• “What? We were drinking in Manayunk last night? I don’t even remember how I got home!” @ralphieaversa

h/t @AGameOfInches and @anaxolotl

Azavea grows, @PhilsBeerman gets beer, @geekadelphia judges and more Links

• Growth at Azavea, Stroll lands them on Inner City 100 list [Philly Inc: Inquirer]
• ComedySportz Hosting ComedyGeekz this Saturday… And We Will Judge Them Harshly [Geekadelphia]
• Beer vendor wants you to “tweet from your seat” at Phillies home games [NewsWorks] — Bill Watkins (@PhilsBeerman)
• Ditch the Litter Box, Scoop Up Sales [Wall Street Journal] — Yardley, Bucks County entrepreneur Rebecca Rescate ‘s CitiKitty company is a retailer of potty-training kits meant to teach cats to use a toiley in five weeks.
• Philadelphia To Become Second City to Host GameLoop, Local Game Developers Organize Their Own Unconference [Geekadelphia]

KeyPulp: Phillyist crew launches national arts and culture blog

KeyPulp, a national-in-focus arts and culture blog from the Phillyist crew, launched this week.

As Technically Philly told you in January, Gothamist put its Philly outpost on ‘extended hiatus’ and many of its contributors were busy at work creating a more broad place for their hobbyist postings on pop culture, music and the like.

One of the group’s leaders, Jill Ivey, says though KeyPulp has fewer geographical content limitations than Phillyist, the local scene will certainly make an appearance.

“We’ll still be covering plenty of events in Philly,” she writes Technically Philly. “It’s just that we’ll be covering stories in New York, D.C., L.A. etc., as well.  We even have a writer from Israel.”

The other editors of KeyPulp are Ross Currie, Andrew Johnston, Allison Krumm, and Joe Ross.

[keypulp.com]