Sneaky Cobra inspires Twitter parody accounts

THE local Twitterverse has been aflutter since a cheeky Cape Cobra slithered onto the Hout Bay Beach on Monday, 8 November.
Several breathtaking photos showing the two meter reptile snaking it’s way into the waves quickly went viral on various social media sites after photographer, Jeffery Rinks, shared his rare sighting.
Not only did the photos elicit the thousands of tweets, which expressed shock and awe, but it also spawned the creation of several parody accounts based on the scaly creature.
Two of the more famous parody accounts, @houtbaycobra and @Cape__Cobra have obtained 235 and 137 followers, respectively, since their creation on Monday.

Love them or hate them parody accounts are here to stay. While many of these accounts only last a short while – while the current joke or event is relevant – some manage to keep their witty and satirical 140 character tweets floating in our timelines.

Twitter has several rules regarding parody accounts.
– Avatar: The avatar should not be the exact trademark or logo of the account subject.
– Account name: The name should not be the exact name as the subject (and subject’s account) and should include distinguishing words, such as ‘fake’ or ‘fan’.
– Bio: The bio should include a statement to distinguish it from the subject (and subject’s account), such as ‘this is a parody’, ‘this is a fan page’ or ‘parody account.