TMCnet Feature

Twitter has taken down an account purporting to be that of Microsoft’s (News - Alert) president of the Windows division, Steven Sinofsky.

The account has been one of the most amusing and ambitious parody accounts, apparently fooling Twitter (News - Alert) users into thinking it was the real Sinovsky, even though the bio clearly indicated the account was a parody. “I’m all about Windows 8 right now. And having a laugh. Oh, I'm not 'the' Steven Sinofsky by the way. He's got a little project to focus on for now," the account’s Twitter profile read.

One Twitter user wanted to know if Windows 8 would be available on HP’s WebOS TouchPad tablet.The fake Sinovsky replied: @wheelerk2011 Yes, as part of our partnership with @HP we will be offering #TouchPad owners a free #Windows8 WOA upgrade from#WebOS.”

The parody account’s antics became even more outrageous. “Sinovsky” tweeted M.C. Hammer, saying he wanted to license the rapper’s hit “U Can’t Touch This” for an advertising campaign.

Microsoft apparently believed the joke had gone far enough. “@StevenSinofsky please see guidelines on parody and impersonation. Your account is not following them and has been reported,” one of the company’s official Twitter accounts said.

Twitter’s guidelines on parody and fan accounts clearly forbid using a public figure’s real name without a “fan” or “fake” in the username. Microsoft apparently objected to the account using Sinovsky’s full name, implying it was actually him sending the tweets.

Some Twitter users thought the controversy was as funny as the parody account. A user by the name of clubdirthill tweeted “"@BuildWindows8 @StevenSinofsky The internet police have been called! You'll be back-traced, impersonator!” The tweet was a reference to an incident where an 11-year-old girl known as Jessi Slaughter faced harassment from 4chan users.

Twitter finally pulled the plug on the fake Sinovsky, but the person behind the account moved to using the name @FakeSinovsky. Even though the account seems to be in compliance with Twitter’s guidelines, Microsoft’s official accounts have blocked it.

The real Steven Sinofsky is still busy working on Windows 8, slated for release later this year. He recently announced that users of Windows 8 on ARM (News - Alert) devices will only be able to install Microsoft-designed applications. Most ARM owners might wish that he was actually joking about that one.