Twitter-how fake celebs create a credibilty problem

My big moan at the moment is the seemingly monopolisation of twitter by the so called celebs.

Well over at Media Shift Simon Owens look at how celeb impostors are threatening to hurt the credibility of the network.

Simon relates the story of the Dalai Lama

By the time the news spread that the Dalai Lama had opened a Twitter account it no longer seemed such a novelty that a high profile individual would join the micro-blogging service, even if he was a divine being. The account gathered nearly 20,000 followers before Twitter pulled the plug two days later when representatives of the Tibetan leader informed the company that the profile had been created by an impersonator, an action that violates Twitter's Terms of Service. Site administrators then turned the handle over to the Dalai Lama and as of this writing it has remained unused, with not a single tweet issued.

It is a major problem for Twitter as it has been for other social networking sites.

And also a problem for journalists who

When the news broke that the Dalai Lama had opened a Twitter account, quickly filed stories reporting the debut, only to have to issue corrections when it was revealed to be fake. The incident highlighted the often difficult balance journalists must strike when trying to verify these accounts while still remaining timely.