Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Altus mare/Archive

26 March 2014

 * Suspected sockpuppets




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Both users newly created within a day of one another, and first edits were to the same page Mircea Popescu, both editors show previous experience with Wikipedia. That page is now under AfD and both editors are also active there as well. Both editors make CIVIL-skirting comments that sound like a similar personality, for example one said "You seem to be having some issues, perhaps of the crab mentality variety." and the other says "no need to push it further and embarass yourself." (both from the AfD page, the second quote in relation to accusations of sock puppetry). Green C  15:08, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

More information has come to light. During the AfD an IP from Romania (home of Mircea Popescu the subject of the AfD) posted this. It's a link to a Reddit thread where a user named Biruitorul is canvassing for people to participate in the AfD. This is clearly not the same as User:Biruitorul who is an experienced Wikipedia editor and the editor who nominated the AfD. The Biruitorul account on Reddit has only made one post ever, that one, a few hours before the IP from Romania posted about it in the AfD. It looks highly suspicious like a frame job and fits the pattern of sock puppetry and attempted social engineering, now on Reddit. -- Green  C  17:52, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

The Romanian IP user on the AfD page is keeping in character with the other two accounts under investigation, saying "wikipedia is a small shithole populated by a lot of indistinguishable idiots". -- Green  C  18:35, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

Comments by other users
''Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.''

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * - - The mannerisms seem quite similar. (By the way, "Both users newly created within a day of one another" is not correct.) King of  &hearts;   &diams;   &clubs;  &spades; 00:23, 1 April 2014 (UTC)
 * Salvio Let's talk about it! 10:49, 2 April 2014 (UTC)
 * I've blocked the sockmaster and sockpuppet. The blocking of the sockpuppet was a pretty obvious decision. I debated whether or not to block the master, but I did so because this account's use has been fairly single-purposed, because they misused the sockpuppet to influence a deletion discussion, and because they (possibly out of retribution for the Popescu AfD). I also struck out the sockpuppet's !vote at the Popescu AfD, but not the master's (because as far as I can tell that !vote was not abusing any policy or guideline). I think this can be closed now. --  At am a  頭  19:15, 2 April 2014 (UTC)
 * @Atama: In such a case, I don't debate it. I typically hand down a 72-hour or 1-week block for a first offense. (Of course, if they've created a massive sockfarm then it's indef, and if it's just a newbie mistake then I don't block, but in most cases that is what I do.) King of &hearts;   &diams;   &clubs;  &spades; 21:42, 2 April 2014 (UTC)