Fake Brad to Real Brad: Thanks for Outing Fake Steve

"Yup. I figured it out. I did it. I am the best journalist ever."

So begins the latest blog to impersonate a prominent technology figure. Only this time it isn't a top corporate executive who's due for a roasting, but Brad Stone, the New York Times tech reporter who outed Forbes editor Dan Lyons as Fake Steve Jobs, the anonymous blogger who has transfixed Silicon Valley for the last year.

That's right, we now have Fake Brad Stone.

"I am the best journalist. ever. I like combat robots and the internet. I'm also into investigative reporting. It's a kind of hobby." So writes Fake Brad about himself.

The real Brad Stone reacted to his new Web double with the requisite note of self-deprecating humor.

"I'm flattered by Fake Brad Stone," real Brad Stone told Portfolio.com via email. "So long as my wife can tell the difference between us."

Stone, who came to the Times from Newsweek last fall, has been garnering admirers for his solid and timely reporting on the Internet, particularly his coverage of so-called Web 2.0 companies like YouTube, MySpace and Facebook.

Stone, whose personal blog is here, has been a welcome addition to the Times tech team, which has been notoriously slow to keep up with the rapid evolution of web developments.

But Stone's latest trick -- the unmasking of Fake Steve Jobs -- is clearly the greatest hit of his nascent Times career.

"This is a career maker ... for me," writes Fake Brad. "No one will ever forget Brad Stone, 'the best journalist. ever.' from here on out."

The reaction to Stone's investigative coup has been swift and largely negative, from the hordes of Fake Steve Jobs fans who have followed the bogus billionaire's writings with "a sense of childlike wonder."

On the real Brad's blog over at the the New York Times, the following is typical of the sentiment:

"Congratulations on ruining something good. Hope you're happy," writes Todd.

"I'm now looking forward, come this December," another commenter, John, writes, "to your front-page expose on the real identity of Santa wherein you attempt to ruin Christmas for millions of children everywhere."

One thing's for sure: Stone will never lack for hiking partners in Yosemite Valley.

So let the guessing game begin: Who is Fake Brad Stone?

by Sam Gustin