Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Dave Ramsey/Archive

Suspected sockpuppets



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

All users above, along with various IPs, have engaged in a slow-burn edit war at Babcock University over the past few months, disruptively and repeatedly adding the same content. Note also the similarity between two of the usernames.

Diffs:

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Babcock_University&diff=754465926

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Babcock_University&diff=758684428

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Babcock_University&diff=776107964

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Babcock_University&diff=776867489

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Babcock_University&diff=776871557

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Babcock_University&diff=781649685

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Babcock_University&diff=781795876

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Babcock_University&diff=781796494

James (talk/contribs) 16:07, 23 May 2017 (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
This needs to be sorted out. This should be filed under, based on Materialscientist's blocks. Also, some of the accounts listed here, even the unblocked ones, are .--Bbb23 (talk) 16:56, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * ✅, so I'm moving this off hold.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  20:49, 26 May 2017 (UTC)
 * All blocked and tagged. Closing.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  20:52, 26 May 2017 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



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

Multiple accounts adding the same (telephone?) number +2348130193730 to articles on Nigerian universities, e.g. //en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Madonna_University,_Elele&diff=prev&oldid=783115206, //en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bells_University_of_Technology&diff=prev&oldid=783433099, //en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Madonna_University,_Elele&diff=prev&oldid=783434832, //en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Igbinedion_University&diff=prev&oldid=783275345, //en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bowen_University&diff=prev&oldid=783277456, //en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Madonna_University,_Elele&diff=prev&oldid=783274820, //en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Covenant_University&diff=prev&oldid=783275873. These are in the past few days. Similar activity goes back months. . . Mean as custard (talk) 09:35, 2 June 2017 (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
Thanks very much, GABgab 14:51, 3 June 2017 (UTC) Thanks, GABgab 15:04, 3 June 2017 (UTC)
 * - Please compare these accounts and check for sleepers. Thanks, GABgab 13:56, 2 June 2017 (UTC)
 * The user agent data is a zoo. The listed accounts and the two accounts below are anywhere from to ✅ and behaviorally obvious:
 * Blocked the unblocked accounts without tags. says that "similar activity goes back months." If they know of other accounts that fit the behavioral pattern, they should have listed them. In all cases, but in particular this one, one cannot assume a CU will turn up other accounts.--Bbb23 (talk) 15:30, 2 June 2017 (UTC)
 * - I'm seeing numerous overlaps with . The telephone numbers appear to be different, but the similarity of behavior is uncanny. Furthermore, I've found multiple suspected socks which may fall into one or another of these sockfarms (or perhaps both, if the two cases are indeed the same):
 * Blocked the unblocked accounts without tags. says that "similar activity goes back months." If they know of other accounts that fit the behavioral pattern, they should have listed them. In all cases, but in particular this one, one cannot assume a CU will turn up other accounts.--Bbb23 (talk) 15:30, 2 June 2017 (UTC)
 * - I'm seeing numerous overlaps with . The telephone numbers appear to be different, but the similarity of behavior is uncanny. Furthermore, I've found multiple suspected socks which may fall into one or another of these sockfarms (or perhaps both, if the two cases are indeed the same):
 * Sorry for the belated addition; I checked the Dave Ramsey sockfarm's past targets and also found:
 * There are some key technical characteristics that mark these socks. First, generally they use the same IP range. Unfortunately, it is not feasible to block the range. Second, within a single IP they usually use the same UA. Third, some UAs may be used again with other IPs. However, it's often difficult to confirm them by UA as they use a great many but a single account uses only one. In terms of technical findings, the easiest thing to say is that they are, although many are ✅ to each other.
 * Based on the above technical information, there are only two reasons to request a CU that I can think of. First, to look for other accounts. You don't want to do that too often as it's a very tedious process. Second, if you're uncertain behaviorally and want a technical opinion. I imagine that won't happen that often. Otherwise, if the behavior fits, just block 'em.
 * Behaviorally, we shouldn't rely on specific phone numbers as they use different ones. I've also seen some socks that use phone numbers in an education article but not a university article. I also noticed two blocked socks (although I doubt the admin knew they were) who edited American University. Finally, in the most unusual case, I saw an edit to a university talk page and two unrelated edits to Nickleodeon articles.
 * I'm blocking all the listed accounts without tags (we should stop tagging per WP:DENY) plus the following:
 * This case should be merged into Sockpuppet investigations/Dave Ramsey., although your hard work on these cases is deeply appreciated, please let a clerk administrator do it. Of course, if you ran for admin ... --Bbb23 (talk) 17:35, 3 June 2017 (UTC)
 * ✅ and closed.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  19:03, 5 June 2017 (UTC)
 * This case should be merged into Sockpuppet investigations/Dave Ramsey., although your hard work on these cases is deeply appreciated, please let a clerk administrator do it. Of course, if you ran for admin ... --Bbb23 (talk) 17:35, 3 June 2017 (UTC)
 * ✅ and closed.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  19:03, 5 June 2017 (UTC)
 * This case should be merged into Sockpuppet investigations/Dave Ramsey., although your hard work on these cases is deeply appreciated, please let a clerk administrator do it. Of course, if you ran for admin ... --Bbb23 (talk) 17:35, 3 June 2017 (UTC)
 * ✅ and closed.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  19:03, 5 June 2017 (UTC)
 * This case should be merged into Sockpuppet investigations/Dave Ramsey., although your hard work on these cases is deeply appreciated, please let a clerk administrator do it. Of course, if you ran for admin ... --Bbb23 (talk) 17:35, 3 June 2017 (UTC)
 * ✅ and closed.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  19:03, 5 June 2017 (UTC)
 * This case should be merged into Sockpuppet investigations/Dave Ramsey., although your hard work on these cases is deeply appreciated, please let a clerk administrator do it. Of course, if you ran for admin ... --Bbb23 (talk) 17:35, 3 June 2017 (UTC)
 * ✅ and closed.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  19:03, 5 June 2017 (UTC)
 * This case should be merged into Sockpuppet investigations/Dave Ramsey., although your hard work on these cases is deeply appreciated, please let a clerk administrator do it. Of course, if you ran for admin ... --Bbb23 (talk) 17:35, 3 June 2017 (UTC)
 * ✅ and closed.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  19:03, 5 June 2017 (UTC)