What? Who is @URSpotted?

"A new semester brings with it fresh creepers who create things like @URspotted #uranidiot," @UR_An_Idiot, an anonymous Twitter account, tweeted at @URspotted.

"Someone's a little jealous they weren't spotted @UR_An_Idiot1 #betterlucknexttimeCH," @URspotted tweeted in response.

@URspotted tweets behind the profile picture of Blair Waldorf, a main character in CW TV's teen drama, "Gossip Girl." @URspotted has 485 Twitter followers and says, "I am always watching...but if I miss something send me a tip at @URspotted@yahoo.com."

Sophomore Kelly Kurz, who is familiar with the Twitter account, took a guess at the identity of the anonymous tweeter: "Male, sophomore or junior, brown hair," he said.

Senior Alex Maffet said, "Junior, it's probably a guy, girls get upset about that kind of stuff."

Senior Carli Guastafeste guessed it had to be a woman because men tend to lose interest in joke Twitter accounts, whereas a woman would remember to keep tweeting.

Junior Joey Greener was the first person that @URspotted started following after its first tweet on Jan. 8. Greener laughed when it was suggested that he was framed as the creator of the anonymous Twitter account.

"It seemed like it could have been me, but if it was me, I wouldn't have followed myself first," Greener said.

Since @URspotted just started this semester, sophomore Erin May speculated that it was probably a junior in Greek life since it mentioned many people in Greek life, and because it started after the juniors returned from abroad.

Junior Bridget Cardell said that it was most likely another junior who was excited to be back from abroad.

When asked about the @URspotted buzz, May said the idea itself was funny as long as it did not become really mean. "Everyone says it's kind of stupid but everyone secretly loves it," she said.

May said she had followed @URspotted on Twitter because it would be embarrassing to be the last person to know that you were mentioned in a tweet.

Junior Carter Staub had a similar reason for following. Staub said she had been surprised to see her name online: "Spotted: Carter Staub dancing on tables in the UFA last night. Showing your wild side Madame President? #@URspotted."

"I was not even at the apartments on Saturday," Staub said. Staub added that she had not been offended by the tweet. She said she had thought it had been funny.

"If they are writing about me, they must have nothing to write about," Staub said. She said she would only find the Twitter offensive if it singled people out about horrible things.

Cardell said, "I wouldn't want to be named specifically."

Guastafeste said she didn't think it was offensive. From what Guastafeste had read, she said she did not think there were any personal attacks that could cause emotional harm on the anonymous Twitter account.

Maffet agreed. "I don't take any offense," he said. "I take it with a grain of salt."

Kurz said he speculated that several people were behind @URspotted because there were different styles to some of the tweets.

"Some of it is funny, some of it gets kind of weird," Kurz said.

Greener said that many of the tweets had appeared to be based on assumption rather than fact, noticing the tweet about Staub. He agreed that there were probably multiple people tweeting from the Twitter account, but said it was hard to tell because the tips could come from anyone.

Kylie McKenna, multimedia coordinator for The Collegian, contacted @URspotted's email, URspotted@yahoo.com, for an anonymous interview but did not receive a reply.

"It's hard to keep focused when there is so much going on...my eyes are getting blurry. Send me tips! URspotted@yahoo.com," @URspotted tweeted, clearly busy, on Jan. 25.

This version corrects that both Kelly Kurz and Alex Maffet are male in the sixth to last paragraph.

Contact staff writer Madeline Small at madeline.small@richmond.edu.