Burner Accounts 101: Experts Tell How to Keep Your Fake ...

Kim Kardashian, for example, has said she has a secret Snapchat. ... Bryan Colangelo's alleged use of multiple anonymous Twitter accounts has left his ... XB/RSixerspresidentofbasketballoperationsBryanColangeloisn'tthefirstpublicfiguretoallegedlygetcaughtslippingonsocialmedia,andhewon'tbethelast—thoughtheoutputfromthefiveburnerTwitteraccountsdescribedinareportbyTheRingerwasmuchmoredamningthanmostonlinesnafus.Therearenumerousstoriesaboutathletes'attemptedseductionsviaDM(bewarethescreenshot).AndtherewasthetimeWarriorscoachSteveKerrtweetedacriticismoftheNBAseeminglyintendedforadirectmessage.Newcelebrities—insports,draftpicks—havetobepreparedforinstantsocialmediascrutinybyonlinesleuthslookingforevidenceofthedreaded"milkshakeduck."ThebestprecedentforColangelo'ssituation(whichreportssaymayinvolvehiswife'suseoftheaccountsinquestion)mightbewhenKevinDurantsenttheinternetonaquesttofindhisburneraccountsafterheaccidentallytweetedfromhispersonalaccountinthethirdperson(notsurprisingly,hedeclinedtocommentonColangelo).NoneofthemwereleakinginsideinformationorattemptingtoswayreportersasColangeloreportedlymighthavebeen,butaccordingtosocialmediaexperts,he'sunlikelytobetheonlypersoninsportswhomaintainsanonymousaccounts."Peoplearelike:'Thisissocrazy.Ican'tbelieveit,'andformelike,it'sTuesday,"saiddigitalstrategistShaneBarker,whorunshisownconsultingfirm."Itdoesn'treallyshockme."AccordingtoIngridElfver,founderofBornCelebrity,it'sfairlycommonforcelebritiestohavethreeorfouranonymousaccounts.KimKardashian,forexample,hassaidshehasasecretSnapchat."Forthemostpart,it'stobeabletofunctiononlinelikeaprivateperson,"Elfversaid.Buthowdotheydoitwithoutgettingfoundout?Herearesomeprotipsforthoseconsideringanaltaccount—andthosewhomightneedtoreinintheirpersonalone.  Don'tdoit.Preventionisthebestmedicine.Abstinenceistheonly100percenteffectiveformofbirthcontrol.Pickyourcliche,anditapplieshere:Ifyoudon'twanttogetembarrassedbyaburnergonepublic,don'topenanewaccount."Peopleoftenaskiftheyshouldhaveoneaccountforworkandoneforpersonalusethattheycandisguise,andwegenerallysuggestno,justfromapersonalbrandperspective,"saidMelCarson,founderofDelightfulCommunications."It'smuchmoreauthentictojusthaveone.Plussomuchcangowrong—ifyou'renotcompletelyfocusedonwhatyou'redoing,somethingcancomeoutfromthewrongaccount."  Ifyou'regoingtodoit,setupyouraccountlikeaTwitterdetective.Soyou'vedecidedtocreateaburner,knowingthatattheslightesthintofimproprietyyoucouldbeexposed."Useanemailaccountthat'snotassociatedwithyournameatall—notevenwithfamily,somethingtotallydifferent,"Elfversaid.Samegoesforphonenumbers—inColangelo'scase,itappearshiswife'sphonenumberwasattachedtosomeoftheaccounts.Ifithasanythingtodowithyou,yourfamily,yourworkplaceoranythingelsethatcouldbetracedbacktothosepartsofyourlife,you'llinevitablybefoundout.BryanColangelo'sallegeduseofmultipleanonymousTwitteraccountshaslefthisfutureastheSixersgeneralmanageruncertain.MattRourke/AssociatedPressOnlinesleuthingcanescalatequickly:Makesureyourlocationsettingsareoffonwhateverplatformyou'reusing,anddependingonwhereyou'reposting,IPaddressescouldevencomeintoplay."Weworkedwithaclientwhowasfoundtohavebeensayingpositivethingsabouthimselfinacommentsectionwhileactingassomebodyelse,"Carsonsaid."Whathedidn'trealizeisthecommentscouldbetracedbacktotheIPaddressofacompanyhe'dbeenfiredfrom."  Don'toverthinktheusername.Youmaythinkit'seasiertodisappearintotheonlinemasseswithahandlethatlookslikeitbelongstoabot:SportsDork9367290.Butaccordingtotheexperts,thoseeffortsareanexerciseinfutility."Theinternetisfullofpeoplewhoaretryingtofigurethisstuffout—Idon'tthinkitreallymatterswhatyounameyouraccount,"saidStephanieCartin,co-CEOofconsultingfirmSocialfly.  Trustnoone.Manycelebshavelockedaccountstheysharewithfriendsandfamily"sotheycanbehavelikeanormalpersononlinewithoutbeingseen,"inElfver'swords.Buteventhosearefarfromfoolproof."BeyoncehadasecretSnapchataccountwithhermom,andhermomaccidentallyexposedit,"Elfversaid."Soevenifyoudoalltherightthings,it'stheotherpeoplewhomightwindupsharingit."AddedBarker:"Theonlywaytokeepasecretbetweentwopeopleistokilltheotherperson.Ifyoudecidetostartananonymousaccount,don'ttellanyone.ItsoundslikesomeoneleakedtheinformationinColangelo'scase,anditbecameawaybiggerdealthanitshouldbe."KevinDurantstirredfollowersonsocialmediawhenhechallengedthemtodiscovertheanonymousaccountsheusedonTwitter.JeffChiu/AssociatedPress  Don'tpostorlike—justlurk.Themoreyoudowithyouranonymousaccount,theriskieritis.Someonecouldfindacommonthreadinyourpostsorevenyourlikes,andthenyouranonymityistoast."Idon'trecommendtweetingorpostingonananonymousaccount,"Cartinsaid."Theminuteyoustartposting—therearealotofinternetsleuthsoutthere,andthey'regoingtofindoutit'syou.Italwayshappens.Nothingisreallyanonymousanymore."  Ifyoupost,postlikeyou'republic.Resistingthetemptationtodoinadvisablethingsonsocialmediaisnear-impossible—especiallywhenyouthinknoonewillbeabletotellit'syou.Butifyoustartposting,andpeoplestartnoticing,thepossibilityforadominoeffectgrowsexponentially."Anythingcangoviral,andnextthingyouknow,you'reinthemedia,"Barkersaid."Tenthousandretweets,andsuddenlyyoursponsorshipsoryourjobareinjeopardy."AddedElfver:"Evenwhenyoudon'tthinkpeoplearegoingtohearyouorseeyou,knowyou'regoingtobediscoveredandseen.Thereisnoprivacyinthatwayanymore."ConcludedCartin:"Itwillgettiedbacktoyou.Allthecelebritygossipsiteshavepeoplewhojustsitinaroomandwatchwhat'shappeningonalloftheseaccountsbecausethat'snews."  Betterstill:Usesomeoneelse'saccount.Ifyou'rethetypeofpersonwithyourownentourage,makethemtakethefall:Assistantsandfamilyareallpossiblesocialmediamercenaries,accordingtotheexpertsB/Rconsulted.  Bestsolution:Stepawayfromtheapp.TherealquestionbehindColangelo'sallegedburneraccountsiswhy—why,ifindeedtheyarehis,wouldherisksomuchforwhatseemslikenonexistentreward?Andthat'sthequestionexpertsrecommendaskingyourselfbeforedivingintotheworldofburners:Whydoyouneedareasontospendevenmoretimeonline?BeyoncelearnedoftheperilsofrunningaprivatesocialmediaaccountwhenhermotherinadvertentlyrevealedapreviouslyhiddenSnapchataccount.MattRourke/AssociatedPress/AssociatedPress"Thisdefinitelysoundslikeacaseofsocialmediaaddiction,"Cartinsaid."Mybestadviceisjusttosetcertaintimesofthedaywhereyou'llallowyourselftobeonsocialmediaandtaketimewhenyou'veputyourphoneaway.Icanimagineasapublicfigurethat'sreallyhardbecausepeoplearetalkingaboutyou,butyoudefinitelyhavetosetboundariesforyourself."BarkerhadanothersuggestioninlightofDurant'scommentsectionbattles:"Maybeyouneedtojustgoworkoutalittlemoreorfigureoutsomeotherwaytoventbecausewhenpeopleknowthey'rebotheringyou,you'rebasicallyaskingthemtocomebacktomorrow.Onceyouengagewiththem,they'vewon.Everyonehasanopinion,andyoujusthavetotakeitwithagrainofsalt.Figureouthowyou'regoingtospendyourtime.Ifit'slookingatTwitterandgettingsuckedintothedramathat'sthere,you'regoingtohavealotofsleeplessnights."🚨SPORTSNEWS➡️YOURINBOXThelatestinthesportsworld,emaileddaily.JoinNewsletterMaybelater