How to Create a Lurker Twitter Account Like Mitt Romney's

If you're on Twitter, you've probably heard about Senator Mitt Romney's secret Twitter account, in which he called himself “Pierre Delecto” ... TheA.V.ClubDeadspinGizmodoJalopnikJezebelKotakuLifehackerTheRootTheTakeoutTheOnionTheInventoryDoeverythingbetterShopSubscribeHomeLatestFood&DrinkTechHealthMoneyHomeParentingWorkRelationshipsTravelLifeinGeneralDoeverythingbetterHomeLatestFood&DrinkTechHealthMoneyHomeParentingWorkRelationshipsTravelLifeinGeneralAboutLifehackerAdvisorLifehackerStoreExploreourothersitesHomeLatestFood&DrinkTechHealthMoneyHomeParentingWorkRelationshipsTravelLifeinGeneralInternetByNicoleDieker10/21/1912:45PMComments(6)Image:ShutterstockIfyou’reonTwitter,you’veprobablyheardaboutSenatorMittRomney’ssecretTwitteraccount,inwhichhecalledhimself“PierreDelecto”andkepttrackofhiskidsaswellasjournalists,politicalassociates,andahandfulofcelebrities.AdvertisementIfyourresponsetoRomney’sfifteenextraminutesoffamewas“Huh,Icoulduseanaccountlikethat,”here’showyousetitup.(NotthatIactuallyrecommendyoudothis,ofcourse.Thereareplentyofeasierwaystokeeptrackofpeopleonline,andI’llgettothemattheendofthepost.ButifyoureallywantalurkerTwitteraccount,here’swhatyouneedtodo.)SignupwithTwitterusingauniqueemailaddressorphonenumberIfyoualreadyhaveaTwitteraccount,you’regoingtoneedtoconnectyourlurkeraccounttoafreshemailaddressorphonenumber.However,sincesocialmediasitesarecrackingdownonburneremailsandphonenumbers,thismightbeharderthanitlooks.Save25%Smart&InteractiveSelf-RotatingBallCatTeaserYourcat'sbestplaypartnerTheintelligentself-rotatingballwillkeepyourkittensactive.Watchyourcatpounceandhuntthemovingball-activatedbyjustaclawtouch.Getyourcatmovingaroundthehouseandhelpthembehealthy.Buyfor$24atStackSocialItriedcreatingalurkerTwitteraccountusingChrome’sBurnerEmailextension,andTwitterwouldn’tallowBurnerEmailtoautofilltheformfield.(IwasabletosuccessfullyuseBurnerEmailinothercases,likesigningupforblognewsletters,butnotonsocialmediasiteslikeTwitterorFacebook.)ThenItriedsettingupaburnerphonenumberthroughHushed,butTwitterclaimedthephonenumberwasinvalid.AdvertisementIwas,however,abletoaddanewemailaddresstomyGmailaccount—whichTwitteraccepted.MakeFakeEmailAccountsforWebsiteSignupsUsingthe'BurnerEmails'ExtensionChromeandFirefox:Thereareplentyofreasonsyoumightnotwanttogiveoutyourrealemail…ReadmoreAdvertisementFiveUsefulThingsYouCanDoWithaBurnerPhoneNumberWhenyouthinkof“burner”phonenumbers,espionageandspiesprobablycometomind.Butthereare…ReadmoreNameyourburneraccountYournewTwitteraccountwillneedbothahandleandaname.Thehandleisthepartthatgoesafterthe@sign,likemyTwitterhandle@hellothefuture.Thenameisthepartthatappearsinbold,like“NicoleDieker”—orsinceit’salmostHalloween,“NicoleBakedBloodOrangeChocolateChipRicottaDieker”.(It’sspookybecauseofthebakedblood.)AdvertisementYourhandlemightbeluckoftheTwitterdrawatthispoint,sincesomanyTwitterhandleshavealreadybeenclaimed.Thatsaid,ifyouendupwithaTwitterhandlethatlooksmorelikeakeyboardsmash,that’sfine.Thenameiswhateveryonewillbelookingatanyway,sochooseitcarefully.Ifyoucan’tcomeupwithaTwitternameonyourown,youcanalwaysuseRandomNameGeneratortogenerateoneforyou.Inmycase,itsuggestedIcallmyselfNicolaStinson,whichIswearisjustacoincidence!AdvertisementChooseanavatarYes,youcoulduseTwitter’sdefaultavatar(formerly“theegg”),whichisprobablyfineifyoujustplantolurkaround.AdvertisementHowever,ifyouwanttointeractwithanyotherTwitterusersinanyway,don’tusethedefaultavatar.UseaservicelikeAvataaarsGeneratorandgiveyourselfaface.StartfollowingaccountsNowthatyouhaveanewlurkerTwitteraccount,it’stimetostartlurking!ThismeansfollowinguserssotheirtweetswillappearinyourTwitterfeed.AdvertisementBeawarethatifyoubeginbyfollowingpeoplewhoarealreadyconnectedtoyou—likeyourchildrenand/oryourpoliticalsupportersandopponents—itmightbeprettyeasytofigureoutwhoyoureallyare.Remember,otherTwitteruserscanseewhoyou’refollowing,somakesuretheywon’tbeabletosussoutyourrealidentityataglance.Like,reply,andretweetcarefullyThetruedefinitionof“lurking”iswatchingwithoutparticipatingintheconversation.(Inotherwords,whenMittRomneytoldTheAtlantic,“Whatdotheycallme,alurker?”hewasunequivocallywrong.)AdvertisementIfyouplantode-lurkandbegincontributingtothediscourse,becareful.OtherTwitteruserscanseeyourretweetsandreplies,whichiskindofthepoint,buttheycanalsoseeyourlikes—whichmeansthatifyourburneraccountonlylikestweetsthatpraiseyourrealidentityandonlyrepliestotweetsthatcriticizeit,itwon’tbethathardtoputtweetandtweettogether.WhentoQuoteTweetaJerkTwitterisforyelling.IgoonTwittertoyell,beyelledat,andtoreadslightlydifferenttakesReadmoreAdvertisementSkipalloftheaboveandjustmakeaprivatelistIfyouwanttoknowwhatotherpeoplearesayingaboutyouonline,ifyouwanttokeeptabsonyourkidsoryourcoworkersoryourpoliticalopponentsorwhathaveyou,orifyousimplywanttokeeptrackofsomeoneelse’sTwitterfeedwithoutpubliclyfollowingthem,youdon’tneedtogotoallthetroubleofsettingupaburneraccount.AdvertisementYoucancreateaprivatelistinstead.PrivateListsAretheBestWaytoStayOrganizedonTwitterIconfess,IloveusingTwitterlists.Whileit’s“easy”tojustscrollthroughtheregularol’…ReadmoreAdvertisementATwitterlistisexactlywhatitsoundslike:acollectionofTwitteraccountsthatyoucanviewinauniquefeed.YoudonotneedtofollowaTwitteraccounttoaddittoalist,whichisoneofmyfavoriteTwitterlistfeatures.TherearetwokindsofTwitterlists:publicandprivate.IfyoucreateapublicTwitterlist,notonlywillotherTwitterusersbeabletoseewho’sonthelist,butthepeopleonthelistwillbenotifiedthatthey’vebeenaddedtoyourlist.IfyoucreateaprivateTwitterlist,nobodywillknowaboutthelistoritsmembersexceptyou.AdvertisementSotakemyadviceandonlygotothetroubleofcreatinganewTwitteraccountifyoureally,really,reallywantone.IfallyouwanttodoislurkonabunchofTwitteraccountswithoutanyoneknowing,aprivateTwitterlistwilldothejobjustaswell—aswillturningTwitteraccountsintoRSSfeeds,visitingTwitterprofilesdirectly(e.g.goingtohttps://twitter.com/lifehackerinsteadoffollowingLifehackeronTwitter),andusingTwitterAdvancedSearchtokeeptrackofwhencertainaccountsaretweetingaboutcertaintopics.IfyouhaveothersuggestionsonhowtolurkwithoutbecomingaPierreDelecto,letusknow!AdvertisementTechInternet