WikiLeaks Prank Targets New York Times

That New York Times op-ed from Bill Keller defending WikiLeaks? Not real, the paper’s former executive editor tweeted this morning. The Web prank fooled lots of people, including New York Times technology writer Nick Bilton.

But wait — what if Keller’s tweet about the fake Keller column was a fake? (And have you ever really looked at your hand, man?)

I queried Keller via email, and got this response. I’m going to assume it really is Keller, not a “Matrix”-like construct:

Ah, the social media hall of mirrors. Yes, the “WL Post-Postscript” Op-Ed is a fake. (Though it steals a few lines from my exchange a few days ago with Matthew Ingram, which was real.) My tweet calling the fake tweet a fake was real. This tweet assuring you that the tweet about the fake tweet is not fake is also real. All clear now, right? Good. It’s been real.