Fake Anne Mroczkowski Twitter is LOLicious

Fake Twitter accounts are nothing new, but this one, playing up CityNews anchors' OMFG-style headlines a la Anne Mroczkowski, was new to me when I stumbled upon it yesterday and proceeded to laugh out loud more than once.

"Not everything you think of as a vegetable is one. Tonight I reveal which are secretly fruits in disguise. More than meets the eye. News @ 6," tweets Annie Mroczkowski.

I may go out on a bit of a limb here by suggesting that this kind of tongue-in-cheek banter, made by locals for locals, is actually healthy - but in a way I think it is. Surely the real Anne Mroczkowski knows that the news bit lures she delivers are, well, often sensationalistic. Right? Might as well have some fun with it, right? Granted, I'm not sure I'd be all that thrilled if someone were impersonating me and doing things with the account that surpassed benevolent humour.

Other recent fake Twitter accounts have played on (or preyed on, depending on your sense of humour or lack thereof) well-known local and national media personalities. Memorable mocking accounts have included the CBC's Peter Mansbridg (which was a hoot during the last federal election, and continues to be), and much-loathed Toronto Star columnist Rosie DiManno.

And there's plenty of opportunity to take things on Twitter to higher levels of fun. The person behind the fake Mroczkowski account, for example, exchanges wisecracks publicly with fellow fake accounts: "@RosieDManno I warned you. hackers are trying to steal your identity! Want Silverman's number? He can help."

While some seem to take it as humourous, others fear for reputation damage and have tried taking Twitter to the courts in order to have the fake accounts halted. Sports figures seem to be particularly sensitive - former Cardinal's icon Tony La Russa was in the news just last week, and a few months back, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke was thought to have been behind the halting of the fake Twitter in his name.

With legal issues rearing their heads, I wonder how long will it be before Twitter fully adopts a verified user sign-up policy.

UPDATE:
More fake Twitter accounts worth following (depending on your interests, of course!):
laytonsmustache (Jack Layton)
etalkben (Ben Mulroney)
cheddar_harper (Stephen Harper's cat)
mimi_ignatieff (Michael Ignatieff's cat)