Street Fight Daily: 10.17.11

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal media, technology, advertising and startups.

Huffington Post’s purchase of Localocracy is further evidence of the “neighbor connect” online space heating up. At least two dozen significant startupshave popped up in the past year focused on facilitating conversation among people who live near each other. Some, like Localocracy, aim at niches (local ballot issues and related), while others intend to promote a general sense of community. (MediaShift)

HopStop, the online service that provides door-to-door subway and bus directions for major cities in the U.S. and abroad, has kicked off “HopStop AdLocal,” a new program that offers businesses up to 12,500 free advertising impressions over a 30-day period, a value of $250, the company says. (Entrepreneur)

Rockville Central, the four-year-old Rockville, Md., hyperlocal that earlier this year shifted to a Facebook-only format, announced today that it is ceasing publication. (NetNewsCheck)

Though there’s been a mad rush for companies entering the category and a growing sentiment that daily deals have jumped the shark, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still a great opportunity for you as a small business owner. Here are some best practices for running a deal. (Mashable)

Organizers behind SchoolBook, the hyperlocal news partnership between the New York Times and WNYC, say the site aims to “convene a conversation” about New York’s 2,500 public and private schools by providing in-depth “news, data and conversation” — the site’s slogan — about the largest school system in the country. (NY Convergence)

Shame on merchants — not daily deal companies — if they’re quoting inflated prices when offering a deal, writes Don Young Jr.: “Merchants that state higher prices to daily dealers are doing more damage to themselves and their own reputations than those of the daily dealers.” (Daily Deal Media)

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