This month Mashable.com published a list of the 10 Must-Follow Fictional Twitter Accounts [PICS]. It’s a big deal on twitter to some to read these smart-@$$ accounts and their quips. I admit to following about half of this list myself.

Even here in Missouri, where twitter usage is 42% below the national average, our local celebrities are not immune to the slings and arrows of fictional account satire.

And it’s not funny.

Let’s focus on two fictional accounts that target elected leaders like BuffetJayNixon and FakeMayorSlay. The pithy comments coming from these accounts - usually feeding off someone else’s innocent tweets - really do nothing to gain credibility for anyone: the attacker, the attacked, and especially the bystander whose comment was appropriated for the joke.

The other detrimental thing these accounts do in our area is throw cold water on the fire of local twitter usage. Our neighbors are just now warming up to the network – with the help of traditional media splashing their hashtags and @handles all over their advertising and programming – and the audience is beginning to grow.

That is until your mom, your boss, your child gets their tweet about a favorite restaurant or St. Louis City event hijacked by one of these fictional accounts and made party to the ridicule of a local leader or celebrity.

If you look at the Mashable list you will notice most of these accounts create their own messages and joke. They don’t steal innocent tweets and ruin it for everyone. You will also notice the audiences they have drawn.

Real and original humor will draw a crowd.

Being an online bully making fun of things in a vacuum and dragging down innocent tweets with you will drawn you scorn and, potentially, a lawsuit.

Also, get off my lawn!

Thanks for the time -