Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Fetler/Archive

Report date February 16 2009, 03:40 (UTC)

 * Suspected sockpuppets


 * Evidence submitted by P retzels Talk!

It appears that these accounts and university IP addresses are all being used by a Sam Ellis, Chair of Trustees of the UK Youth Parliament, and caseworker for Natascha Engel MP.
 * Last September, User:Lomcevak noted an odd editing pattern on the Natascha Engel article. His analysis is here, but in summary he spotted NPOV being broken quite clearly by User:Fetler, but also from a few anonymous IP contributors originating from the University of Central Lancashire. It is clear from Fetler's edits that he also attends this University.
 * As most of the concerned edits were regarding Engel's work with young people and the UK Youth Parliament, Lomcevak researched that organisation and found that Engel was a trustee - and that a student from the University of Central Lancashire, Sam Ellis, was the Chair of Trustees. Later, on Engel's official website, he found Sam Ellis listed as the Youth Officer for her office.
 * A minute after some bad edits to Natascha Engel's article, the account User:Levret was created. This account was later used to defend Fetler's edits to said article, in unsigned talk page replies to reverting users.
 * It is more or less confirmed that Sam Ellis is in fact the owner of these accounts by yesterday's creation of Samuel Colin Ellis by Fetler, followed two minutes later by the addition of a link to that article in UK Youth Parliament, by Levret. The user is also using anonymous IPs to edit, usually within minutes of previous edits.
 * Disclosures: I noticed this because I am a main contributor to the UK Youth Parliament article. I also previously nominated Samuel Colin Ellis for speedy deletion.

Another Page history log
 * Main POV-pushing edit, involved in revert wars with multiple users

Firstly, I have only ever created this account. I edited the Natascha Engel MP page when I was a student at the University of Central Lancashire, and given that there must be in excess of 5,000 computers there it's my guess that there appears to be a fair few IP addresses and users at any given time who are at the uni and are editing Wikipedia. I guess it's what happens when you have a university with over 30,000 students. There was incorrect information on it, poor spelling and grammar, and potentially dangerous and utterly irrelevant references to her children, which I cleaned up or removed. Did I do wrong? Should I have left the poor spelling and grammar in place? Should I have kept the references to her children? Lomcevak's only problem at the time was that I had slightly edited Natascha's article.
 * Comments by accused parties    See Defending yourself against claims.

But still, it appears this Lomcevak fella has taken a shine to me because I went to university with Sam Ellis, who now works for Natascha Engel. Lomcevak appears to have quite a thing for Natascha and took offence to my edit of Natascha Engel's page where I removed references to her children (is there any justification for including her children in a Wikipedia article?) among other things, as listed above.

So do what you will, I have nothing to hide. Lomcevak has a vendetta because I edited what he feels is his own personal possession. He fails to see that Wikipedia is for editing by all, not just one person. How is it that users like him get away with behaving like infants and other users get punished? Strikes me as it's a case of "he who screams the loudest wins". Shameful.

Pretzels, it appears you personally know Sam so you know what is really going on here, but I must admit I don't care what happens. I've not done anything wrong.

 Fetler Talk!.


 * Comments by other users


 * Clerk, patrolling admin and checkuser comments


 * Conclusions

The matter is being resolved in private via the Wikipedia email system. P retzels Talk! 18:59, 17 February 2009 (UTC)