Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/2sc945/Archive

27 April 2011

 * Suspected sockpuppets




 * User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

''Please list evidence below this line. Remember to sign at the end of your section with 4 tilde characters " ~ "''

The account 2sc945 has a particular style of preferred formatting, which was discussed with them at User talk:2sc945, as well as a confrontational attitude and a reluctance to discuss on talkpages. The IP came to my attention when after reverting 2sc945's edits on List of islands by area and Boundaries between continents, the IP sprang up to revert my reverts of the user on both pages, having never previously edited them. Looking through histories, both have edited basketball articles, including some overlap, and have similar times of absense from editing (though not identical). Meanwhile, the IP is making exactly the same formatting changes (spaces between bullet points and text, blank lines after titles, changing code with a bracket such as Landmasses to Landmasses, shifting close brackets of templates etc. to a new line, overlinking) as 2sc945 does. Chipmunkdavis (talk) 14:11, 27 April 2011 (UTC)

A second IP just popped up to repeat the same arguments on List of islands by area. Has also edited basketball articles. Chipmunkdavis (talk) 09:30, 28 April 2011 (UTC)

Now a new named account has showed up on the same page, and made an edit with the summary "OMG it's you AGAIN. More meaningless revertings without any edit summary will get you reported. It's always appreciated to read the discussions first." This shows to me it's not a new account. Same mindless adding spaces formatting changes too. Chipmunkdavis (talk) 03:52, 30 April 2011 (UTC)

Zarrin is clearly the first IP at least, replacing the IP's signature with their own. Chipmunkdavis (talk) 07:51, 30 April 2011 (UTC)

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This definitely warrants further investigation. The compare report shows a substantial overlap on obscure geographic articles and basketball player profiles. It's hard to put down their mutual interest on two unrelated subjects down to mere coincidence. The second named account (which was created yesterday) hasn't edited basketball articles yet, but it seems to be citing WP policy right off the bat... Their style of edit line summaries are almost identical. Rennell435 (talk) 06:07, 30 April 2011 (UTC)


 * This is funny: When 2sc945 was warned about edit-warring, an editor posted on his talk page the following message:
 * "2sc945, please stop. Have a break. Do some different kinds of edits for a while. You will get yourself blocked if you carry on like this.  Sean.hoyland - talk 09:24, 11 April 2011 (UTC)"
 * Earlier today, Zarrin-dokht posted the exact same warning on another editor's user page! Rennell435 (talk) 06:16, 30 April 2011 (UTC)

The all share the same technical traits: 2sc945 and 203.161.97.193 both seem to be under the assumption that adding pp-move-indef can somehow protect a page from further edits--see and ; 2sc945 and both IPs seem to persistently change Foos into Foos --see here and here and here. Rennell435 (talk) 06:58, 30 April 2011 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments
I'm sorry, but checkuser cannot disclose connections between named accounts and IPs. TN X Man 14:23, 27 April 2011 (UTC)
 * No comment on the IPs, but the two named accounts are ✅ matches. TN X Man  13:58, 30 April 2011 (UTC)


 * Blocked and tagged the confirmed sock, blocked the master 31h for puppeting. The autoblock has kicked on for one of the IPs. Relist if more things happen. —  Hello Annyong  (say whaaat?!) 14:03, 30 April 2011 (UTC)

03 May 2011

 * Suspected sockpuppets




 * User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

''Please list evidence below this line. Remember to sign at the end of your section with 4 tilde characters " ~ "''

IP is editing again, same duck format changes. Seems the user hasn't learned. Chipmunkdavis (talk) 02:53, 3 May 2011 (UTC)

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Both master and IP blocked 1 week. —  Hello Annyong  (say whaaat?!) 01:57, 6 May 2011 (UTC)

27 December 2013

 * Suspected sockpuppets




 * User compare report Auto-generated every hour.
 * Editor interaction utility

are common quirks of these users, as is the unusual practice of adding spaces on either side of the "defaultsort" marker (see this and this)
 * All accounts forcing common edit types on common article Chris Goulding - chain linking (breaking "Launceton, Tasmania" into two links), linking "Australia", adding spaces to headers and before bullets and insisting on place of birth in DOB parenthetical
 * IP 101.119.31.139 and IP 101.119.30.139 have confirmed they are the same person (see here)
 * In the cases of both IP 101.119.30.139 and User:2sc945, there is an incorrect assumption that the OVERLINKING being referred to is between infobox and article (see edit summary here and User talk:2sc945.
 * User:2sc945 and User:Energy110 edit very similarly. Topics are similar (Australian, NZ basketball and football, Asian geographies), but types of edits are starkly similar (compare this edit to this edit) - adding spacing, capitalization of "reflist,"
 * Both User:2sc945 and User:Energy110 use the same photo on their user pages.
 * I haven't found a case yet where these two accounts have edited at the same moment Rikster2 (talk) 05:56, 27 December 2013 (UTC)
 * edited to add - just noticed this user has been blocked in the past for sock puppetry.

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 * - - I don't feel there is enough evidence for WP:DUCK, so let's get a check. King of  &hearts;   &diams;   &clubs;  &spades; 18:54, 3 January 2014 (UTC)
 * Energy110 is ✅. . ​—DoRD (talk)​ 20:41, 3 January 2014 (UTC)
 * Sock tagged and blocked indef. As the master had previous sockpuppetry blocks, I've indef blocked him as well. Closing. Mark Arsten (talk) 20:49, 3 January 2014 (UTC)

21 October 2015

 * Suspected sockpuppets




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This is a procedural report for IPs I already blocked as WP:DUCKs

Sockmaster 2sc945 had issue with WP:OVERLINK of nationalities as seen with this edit of a basketball bio or this detailed MOS discussion

120.16.88.202 edit warred over OVERLINK of nationalities as well, such as this edit in another basketball bio or this testy talk page exchange over MOS

Geographically, this is also a Vodaphone IP from Perth, Australia like most of the earlier ones reported.

After 120.16.88.202 was blocked, the remaining IPs all either edited at the blocked User talk:120.16.88.202 or User talk:Jimbo Wales, complaining how unjust the block is, how another editor and myself are allegedly ganging up or are socks, and again complaining about MOS. 202.72.165.105 was an iiNet Limited IP also in vicinity of Perth, and the others are Vodaphone IPs in either Perth or Mount Lawley in Western Australian. —Bagumba (talk) 04:43, 21 October 2015 (UTC)
 * After the blocks above, I notice another common trait of 202.72.165.105 not following WP:NOPIPE to blend an affix, e.g. Pension funds instead of the simpler Pension funds . This was a long discussion topic with 2sc945 as also reported at Sockpuppet_investigations/2sc945/Archive.—Bagumba (talk) 06:27, 21 October 2015 (UTC)

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments
All IPs have been blocked. Marking for close.—Bagumba (talk) 04:47, 21 October 2015 (UTC)

21 October 2015

 * Suspected sockpuppets




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Procedural report, as the IP was already blocked for WP:EVASION by another admin for continued reposting of MOS protests at User talk:Jimbo Wales‎‎.

The major information here of note is the use of a Telstra IP in Dianella, also near Perth. The time of this and past edits suggests it's used later night and early morning Australia time, so it's possibly a home ISP connection.—Bagumba (talk) 18:16, 21 October 2015 (UTC) —Bagumba (talk) 18:16, 21 October 2015 (UTC)

I've added Apipia to the original report. Here are common traits: —Bagumba (talk) 20:21, 21 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Marks all edits as minor, like previous registered accounts of sockmaster 2sc945 and previous sock User:Energy110.
 * Common subject interest as past socks with basketball, particularly in Australia and general Asia; Chinese Basketball Association was edited by past socks, and IPs in the 120.16.xxx.xxx range are rampant lately, which is consistent with the recently blocked IPs on 21 October 2015. Interest in Australia of basketball in China is a niche interest.
 * WP:OVERLINK of countries, and adding space formatting to sections names, like before: 2sc945 editApipia edit
 * WP:NOPIPE edits, as reported with past socks, such as unnecessarily changing cricketer to cricketer

Also adding 120.20.111.120 for tracking purposes only. A Vodaphone IP, but located in Adelaide, South Australia, as opposed to other IPs that have been in West Australia, usually around Perth. It's stale now, but editing both Chinese and Austrailian basketball pages. The editor said they were from Perth in edit summary, and edit summary of this edit uses "source: http: ..." format like past socks.—Bagumba (talk) 20:46, 21 October 2015 (UTC)

Adding 103.228.188.122, an Acurix Networks Pty IP in Perth blocked by another admin. DUCK whose editing style and page interest since 2014 are consistent with long-term behavior here.—Bagumba (talk) 08:25, 24 October 2015 (UTC)

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Already blocked. Nothing left to do.—Bagumba (talk) 18:16, 21 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Reopening for convenience, as this hasn't been archived yet. More suspected socks forthcoming.—Bagumba (talk) 19:51, 21 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Blocked Apipia as DUCK, left 120.20.111.120 as it is not currently active. Checkuser requested for sleepers given serial nature of socks.—Bagumba (talk) 20:46, 21 October 2015 (UTC)
 * There is no reason to expect sleepers here. I'm closing this.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  10:35, 24 October 2015 (UTC)

28 October 2015

 * Suspected sockpuppets




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Procedural report before blocking as WP:DUCK.

Of note is 116.212.225.218, which is an IP from Claremont, Western Australia, using ISP Amnet Broadband Pty, first used when this SPI opened in 2011.—Bagumba (talk) 08:51, 28 October 2015 (UTC) —Bagumba (talk) 08:51, 28 October 2015 (UTC)

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IPs blocked, and also placed temporary range block on 120.16.0.0/16. Marking for close.—Bagumba (talk) 08:59, 28 October 2015 (UTC)

28 October 2015

 * Suspected sockpuppets


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confirmed sock's edit:
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_Soccer_League&diff=prev&oldid=687876614

This editor's edits:
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Major_League_Soccer&diff=prev&oldid=687916350
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=North_American_Soccer_League&diff=prev&oldid=687916173

The edits were made shortly after the other sock was blocked.

This IP is from Perth one of the confirmed socks is also.

Enough to satisfy WP:QUACK. Walter Görlitz (talk) 14:20, 28 October 2015 (UTC)

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Seams like this IP is not active any more. Closing.

09 January 2016

 * Suspected sockpuppets


 * User compare report Auto-generated every hour.
 * Editor interaction utility

Fondling around with infoboxes in a similar, if not identical, manner (IP, 2sc945), usually including violations of WP:MOSFLAG, and generally edits sporting articles. Caradhras Aiguo (talk) 00:17, 9 January 2016 (UTC)

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 * I've declined the CU request. We rarely disclose the IP(s) of named accounts.--Bbb23 (talk) 14:47, 9 January 2016 (UTC)
 * Optus ISP does not match past socks, but this user is located in Perth, Western Australia, like the others. Interest in sports and Chinese topics, as well as WP:OVERLINKing, use of flags, and adding spaces to headers makes this a likely WP:DUCK.  However, the IP no longer seems active after edits on January 8, and no visible socking in the IP range. Can keep open a few more days to see if activity resumes.—Bagumba (talk)  00:50, 11 January 2016
 * IP is no longer active. Mark for close.—Bagumba (talk) 22:21, 15 January 2016 (UTC)

12 March 2016

 * Suspected sockpuppets




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The two named accounts were created within days of eachother:. The two accounts are supporting each other in edit wars on a number of pages://. 101.186.87.193 is tied to the above with these edits:. This IP geolocates to Perth, where past blocked socks have come from (ie . The linkage to the master can be seen by comparing /. TDL (talk) 16:04, 12 March 2016 (UTC)


 * Added 120.16.204.99 after it resumed edit warring other socks content here. TDL (talk) 01:49, 15 March 2016 (UTC)
 * +120.16.4.56. Same edit. TDL (talk) 23:02, 16 March 2016 (UTC)

Comments by other users
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 * Links provided appear to be solid. Caradhras Aiguo (talk) 22:32, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * I'm not sure if there's something I'm not seeing to explain why this hasn't been actioned for nearly a month, but the accounts look like ducks, linked to this master by similarities to previous IP addresses. Listed IP addresses haven't edited in almost a month, so it doesn't look like it's worth pursuing those. Kevin ( aka L235 ·&#32; t ·&#32; c) 04:15, 10 April 2016 (UTC)
 * - Please, compare the two named accounts.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  22:02, 27 April 2016 (UTC)
 * The master, as well as all the puppets in the archives, are.
 * The two named accounts here are ✅. I've blocked them without tags. I'll leave that to the clerk. The person behind these accounts edits more logged out than logged in. Unfortunately, range blocks are not feasible.--Bbb23 (talk) 01:22, 28 April 2016 (UTC)


 * This case has spent a remarkable amount of time over the course of nearly two months standing around waiting for attention, but there really seems no reason it hasn't been closed before now, as there is nothing more to be done. I am closing it at last. The editor who uses the pseudonym "JamesBWatson" (talk) 08:35, 9 May 2016 (UTC)