Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/FobTown/Archive

Suspected sockpuppets
New account BooleanQuackery started editing Debt-trap diplomacy today with no prior history on any other similar subjects after another user FobTown was reported for edit warring on the topic.

FobTown has been the source of edit warring on 2019–present Sri Lankan economic crisis over debt-trap diplomacy related content since May, when they were blocked for 31 hours, after which they resumed the edit war. Recently I notified them not to add blogs as sources and they responded with mass reversion and deflection. The focus of their deflection was my history at Debt-trap diplomacy and accused me of WP:COATRACKING there:, , ,. COATRACKING was also used as an edit summary for their mass deletion:. After I reported Fob for edit warring, they responded with similar charges of COATRACKING:,.

BooleanQuackery was created less than a week ago on 21 July. Edit history until today was focused almost exclusively on biology. First edit on 26 July, a few hours after Fob's last edit, was at the talk page of Debt-trap diplomacy where a dispute resolution was recently started between me and another user:,. Despite having no history editing any pages remotely similar to debt-trap diplomacy they voiced their support against me in the dispute:, , ,. Fob did the same: right before Boolean:. Boolean deleted content from Debt-trap diplomacy while invoking COATRACK similar to Fob:.

Both are probably located in Canada:,. Qiushufang (talk) 07:19, 26 July 2022 (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

 * Bold removals of content while citing COATRACK is unusual for a new account, but these accounts are ❌ from a technical perspective - different countries, nothing to indicate use of proxies.  Girth Summit  (blether)  10:17, 26 July 2022 (UTC)
 * Closing with no action. Bbb23 (talk) 12:29, 26 July 2022 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Firstly he created a new account on the same day FobTown was blocked indefinitely almost 2 months ago. Back then I was about to report on FobTown myself for persistent vandalism but however another have already filed a report against him beforehand. In fact two other editors Lilahok and User:Qiushufang filed separate reports within the same week and both led to separate blocks for FobTown. And Lilahok complained about his edit warring style which is constantly removing large amounts of information without valid reasoning. His recent edits is the same, with removing large amounts of information with zero or poor reasoning, is what first made me think of FobTown again. Then today I looked at his edit history and noticed they have the same consistent interests. Video games, China, Canadian things and his account was created the same day FobTown was indefinitely banned. All coincidence? He edits just like the edit warrer FobTown who already frustrates so many others when you look at his Talk page. And so feel there needs to be a check given the evidence. Dragonkingluv23 (talk) 10:11, 24 September 2022 (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

 * - Blocked and tagged JK, tagged FT. Please move case to FT. Bbb23 (talk) 13:49, 24 September 2022 (UTC)
 * ✅. Also converted the mobile diff links in the filing to "regular" desktop ones. Closing. --Blablubbs (talk) 14:11, 24 September 2022 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
The evidence is very clear and unmistakable.

1. His sock had earlier added in this unsourced edits which I had reverted a month ago. A month ago the sock jadekrusade wrote "However, China's average income per capita is considerably lower than these other countries, so the high speed train fares remain unaffordable for most but the well-to-do." 

However his source does not say that anywhere so was unsourced and is original research. And also it's not even factual when you read the source that talks about socioeconomic benefits of the rail, the competition with airlines and increased occupancy rates and profits in shanghai beijing railway, etc. It said nothing like what he wrote. He completely just made it up and added that sentence in. So back then, I reverted it and additionally took the time to read the actual article and added in additional information from his source. 

Yet yesterday, like a typical edit warrer, Dragonluver22 sneaks back in his incorrect and old unsourced edits again (exactly word for word) but now in a differet chapter - (Fare cost comparisons) and honestly I almost missed it, because he made so many edits and it's hard to know exactly what and where he added it in. So i almost missed it. 

Jadekrusade was originally the one who wrote that sentence in a month ago despite it was unsourced info. Dragonluv22 now re-adds it in after waiting a month later. What are the odds that this is a different person to add in the verysame unsourced sentence word for word a month after it got deleted for being unsourced? In the past days, his new account had also re-added a large amount of other jadekrusade old edits back in, and had also crudely deleted some of mine and other people's edits in just one day alone. That's really suspicious behavior from a new account barely a day old.

The context is FobTown is a long time edit warrer who keeps returning to pages to push his pov and a month ago, created a sock - JadeKrusade, who last edit warred on the "high speed rail in china" page then he got blocked. Approx 3 hours after JadeKrusade was blocked. An anonymous IP address 67.69.111.178 started reverting to remove all my edits and also add in EXACTLY all the same edits added by JadeKrusade. It was obviously him reverting my edits and him being angry so I reverted the sock a second time. And the geolocation is Ontario, Canada and I known from his edit history that Fobtown had often edited Ontario HIghway.

I knew he would come back as he has a history of not being able let things go and attack the page with mass revertions. And now a month later, there is a new editor with a barely day old account who calls himself dragonLuver22 and makes many suspicious edits. like Wow!! well, my username is dragonkingLuv and so that's a red flag there as my username is so very close to it (even uses my same deliberate misspelling for "luv"), and I am the one who had reported him a month ago. His choice of that username is very suspicious as it's too close to mine.

But the most compelling evidence is that his edits and editing style gives him away undoubtedly. Because he adds in generally the exact same edits that jadekrusade added in a month ago and removes other's edits. And FobTown's major issue in the past, is that he doesn't listen to others and constantly re-adds in his reverted edits despite others removing it and giving him proper reasoning. IDIDNTHEARIT is his major problem.

Previously Jadekrusader added in Chinainsights youtube links to the page. Pieceofmetalwork, another editor, had removed it because it was not appropriate to add in youtube links plus anyone can make a vlog and that doesn't necessarily make them authoritive sources so it got removed. Now this day old account makes a beesline to this page and his first few edits just re-adds chinainsights source back into the page  and so EXACTLY the same deleted sources and about the very general same info like, ie, "freight being unsuccesful and needing trucks to reduce congestion", etc in which the blocked sock, Jadekrusade had also earlier added in. . so far, he has mostly restored most of jadekrusders' earlier deleted content in only just one day alone. and he also again removed some of my edits like he did the last time, without any reasoning.

He repeats the same problematic style of multiple mass revertions / removal of content and not giving any edit summaries for them. He has definitely reverted a number of mine plus other people's edits so to get closer back to his preferred version again. This is what he does so many times before and many others have complained about that. yesterday, the new day old account makes these troublesome large edits and examples of this includes when he incrementally deletes few of mine and other people's edits like a couple sentences to entire paragaghs completely and gives zero reasoning for it. And he does it in a sneaky manner where he also adds stuff at the same time so it can be at times hard to recognise when he both adds and deletes at the same time. Fobtown's sock account jadekrusader exhibit that same pattern where he removes the content and doesn't give any reasoning for the removal, and then eventually me or others will be aware and then have to fix it. But instead of wasting time edit warring with this one day old account that is already full on re-adding jadekrusader's deleted edits and undoing selectively mine and other people's edits. I would like to request a checkuser checkup on him.

But he fails the duck test easily as it's obviously him or it would be a major co-incidence for another to do these actions on his first day, edits extensively and make his first edits to mostly unrevert JadeKrusade's exact edits that had been reverted a month ago. and addtionally removed a large number of others' (including mine) edits to get back to his prefered version and not giving proper edit summaries explaining those removals of other people's edits. That fits JadeKrusader's behvioural pattern to come back a month later and re-add much of his desired edits and undo other people's edits. Dragonkingluv23 (talk) 00:23, 28 October 2022 (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 took me a while to parse through all the irrelevant bits and rants, but the relevant behavioural evidence is enough for me to block Dragonluver22 as a sock. IP left alone as stale. Closing. DatGuyTalkContribs 09:02, 28 October 2022 (UTC)
 * - ran a check and found more accounts. Dreamy Jazz talk to me &#124; my contributions 09:13, 28 October 2022 (UTC)
 * Dreamy Jazz talk to me &#124; my contributions 09:18, 28 October 2022 (UTC)
 * Dreamy Jazz talk to me &#124; my contributions 09:18, 28 October 2022 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
User is indiscriminately returning information posted by FobTown's sockpuppet accounts. done across multiple articles. (feel free to verify the info yourself)

Article: Propaganda in China | Reason for Removal: failed verification

Article: Kris Wu rape case | Reason for Removal: info failed verification and was original research

Article: Concerns over Chinese involvement in 5G wireless networks | Reason for removal: quotations failed verification + unreliable sources

Info and quotations that failed verification (feel free to verify the info yourself): Experts have pointed out that “under [President] Xi's intensifying authoritarianism [since] Beijing promulgated a new national intelligence law" ... The two laws "[compel] Chinese businesses to work with Chinese intelligence and security agencies whenever they are requested to do so”, suggesting that Huawei or other domestic major technology companies could not refuse to cooperate with Chinese intelligence. 

information from a self-published newsletter/blog (substack): Klon Kitchen has suggested that 5G dominance is essential to China in order to achieve its vision where "the prosperity of state-run capitalism is combined with the stability and security of technologically enabled authoritarianism"

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

I accept my ban for edit warring and I would have stayed away from Wikipedia, but to see User:LilAhok blatantly removing entire sections and their supporting sources from such articles, this is what I cannot stand idle about because these are tactics similar to "Pro-Beijing people [who] often remove content that is sympathetic to protests" according to the BBC. I would like the following edits to be actually judged on their content rather than user history, and in any case should not prejudice the supporting sources. FobTown2 (talk) 23:01, 17 December 2022 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Per confession and evidence presented, . 1 week for 142.205.13.124 and 142.205.130.125, indef for the one that popped up here. Please clean up as you see fit.  --  Tamzin  [ cetacean needed ] (she&#124;they&#124;xe) 23:11, 17 December 2022 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
The guy never had intentions to leave and is proven to be even more engaged with wik editing even more so in the first months after he had got blocked. He doesn't just edit with only one account anymore but instead have created multiple accounts with a fury within the last 5 months. I know he is not allowed to have new accounts after he got blocked let alone multiple new accounts. He has already proven to disregard his block and edit literally only days after he got blocked. Considering how has been proven to create new accounts days after Fobtown got blocked around 4 to 5 months ago, you need to block his ip range in making new accounts.

evidence for 142.205.130.124 as his sock,

He created a sock account called jadekrusade and made this edit on (high speed rail in china) where he says he just "trims the lead" except there is no decent reasoning for that blanket removal and he also deleted content from other chapters and gave no reasoning. Jadekrusade got blocked for sockpupptry soon afterwards and literally only a hour later after the block, an angry anononymous ip editor's first and only edit is to mass undo all my and others' edits and re-add back in jadekrusaders' edits. It was obviously him. and geoloctes to ontario, canada. And because of his interests, I as well as other editors already knew he was from ontario canada and I think the admins already confirmed the geolocation of his sock is ontario canada.

Now yesterday, he became active again with his time wasting and his obvious sock 142.205.130.124 was hounding my edits and mass re-added JadeKrusades' edits and again undid all mine and others edits that Jadekrusader has edit warred on 2 months ago. He managed to stay quiet for only 2 months yet for some reason started popping up again recently. His geolocation again points unsurprisingly to ontario canada. Its obviously him however not sure why he is showing his IP address and make it too easy to spot him. 

Update - I didn't notice this before until just now, but it seems lilahok reported him yesterday for his sock account - 142.205.130.125 - which is extremely close to 142.205.130.124. It's obviously him by duck test alone and copying the same beahviour as Fobtown's sock Jadekrusade and dragonluver22, and the fact that the ip range is so close to each other. just one digit different.

evidence for stormandfury as his sock

Fobtown giveaway behavioural pattern is of a consistently of a selective and large removal of content within articles of his interest, and using invalid or dubious reasoning to do so and how I knew they were socks and reported them here, where at least 4 of his socks have now got confirmed and blocked. And I had to add back in my edits that his socks kept removing. 

I can tell that stormandfury is his sock because ONLY 5 to 6 days after FobTown got blocked for edit warring, I noticed a new account was created at that date and was called Stormandfury where like his name sake, started to go to FobTown's similar range of interests and making large amounts of edits and removal of other editor's content without even discussing it.

On his first day of his newly created account, he removed so much content in the article (nancy pelois visit to taiwan) and his reasoning for doing so, was just his own flawed opinion that the poll is not reported elsewhere (which he's both very wrong and the source given was very authoritive). That fits Fobtown behavioural pettarn to a T and throughout his barely 5 month history, has the very same pattern of questonable removal of contents.

He undoes many editor's edits on (shanghai communique in the last few days) where if you take a look at stormandfury edits on that page. It's the very same toxic behavioural pattern of fobtown. He could easily add in the (unsourced) tag and allow others to add a citation but he instead does a vast hasty blanket and irresponsible deletion of all that information without discussion or giving others a fair enough time. This is so him and the very same toxic behaviour why Fobtown got blocked in the first place and been crticised by a large number of other editors who are frustrated with dealing with him. he makes it so easy to spot him.

Editors know that Fobtown is frustrating to deal with and that even when blocked, he tries to get "revenge" and comes back soon enough. I noticed that he hounds other editors who just want to escape him. On his talk page, there are multiple criticisms of that. Editors know that Fobtown is frustrating to deal with and that even when blocked, he tries to get "revenge" and comes back soon enough. Shanghai communique was last edited by user simpleshooter99. I also know that simpleshooter99 was the man who reported and got Fobtown blocked on 30th july. What a co-incidence that stormandfury starts to undo all of simpleshooter99's work yesterday. 

FobTown couldn't even wait more than a week to create at least 4 sock accounts and started replicating the same behavoural pattern that got him in trouble in the first place. Stormandfury behaviour of mass removal of content, and interests is the same as Fobtown who got blocked just over 4 months ago. And around the same time, that 4 month account Stormandfury was created soon afterwards and within a week after fobtown got blocked, and also went into angry edit warring and also started removal of mass content. Co-incidence? I don't think so and request a checkdisk to see if he is creating new accounts afer being blocked. won't be surpised that it's him.

UPdate on big giveaway - Fobtown re-emerged again with a sock account called FobTown2 and wrote on this page - 'this is what I cannot stand idle about because these are tactics similar to "Pro-Beijing people [who] often remove content that is sympathetic to protests" according to the BBC [5]. 

He is referring to covid protests in beijing and it's obvious that his current attention is directed at lockdown protests in beijing and I believe his sock is illegally editing there where he made numerous edits yesterday where he removed valid information just because he doesn't like it. THat is the same behavioural pattern of fobtown., where again he removes information with flawed reaoning. Even veteran editor Amigao who I have history with, doesn't remove that info because she or he knows it's valid. So the evidence is overwelming. He just admitted to socking yesterday and that he is angry about the edits on beijing covid protests and it just so happens that stormandfury edited there extensively yesterday too. co-incidence again? too many co-incidences. He is proven to sock yesterday and admitted that he has issues with that page on beijing covid protests. couldn't be more obvious now, that he is also socking on that page yesterday. THat's enough evidence to do a checkdisk on seeing if fobtown2 is connected to stormandfury, though it more than enough fails the duck test in many ways.

Dragonkingluv23 (talk) 05:44, 18 December 2022 (UTC)

Comments by other users

 * Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims. The reasons that you gave to support your assertion that I am fobtown make very little sense. Fobtown was blocked for sockpuppetry in October but my account was created before then in August so it would have been an impossibility for the administrators to not know that I was fobtown’s sockpuppet by then and block their account but not mine. You also claim that I am hounding your edits in the Shanghai communique article but once again this makes no sense when you are the one who reverted me for reverting a totally different editor - and restoring their disputed material in whole which suggests on the contrary that you are that editor’s sockpuppet. I have no idea who either of you are and the records show that fobtown and I are interested in a completely different set of articles and issues. There is not a single article that we have both edited on. Please withdraw this investigation against me which you have very clearly and unfortunately opened in bad faith. Stormandfury (talk) 06:48, 18 December 2022 (UTC)


 * NO, do not lie. Fobtown got blocked on 30th July. He later created multiple sockpuppets and on October, I was the one who correctedly reported him and checkdisk found that he was socking and gave him another notice. Your account's first edit was on 5th august, only 6 days afterwards. And on your first day, i noticed a pattern of mass removal of content from the article (2022 visit by nancy pelosi in taiwan) using the same flawed reasoning as Fobtown. YOu share his interests and here is what fobtown sock recently said abovem 'I cannot stand idle about because these are tactics similar to "Pro-Beijing people [who] often remove content that is sympathetic to protests" according to the BBC [5]'. Here is your recent edit where you remove the very same exact information that Fobtown has issues with. Co-incidence? i don't think so. You are obviously him and had created your account shortly after fobtown got blocked and exhibit the same dubious behavioural patterns.¬¬¬¬ — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dragonkingluv23 (talk • contribs) 07:04, 18 December 2022 (UTC)
 * I’m not lying. I’m not Fobtown. I don’t know what information they would have had issues with because as I said there has yet to be a single article that we have both edited on, and the records show we (up until Fobtown’s block) had been interested in a completely different things and topics. I repeat: if they were outed for sockpuppetry and I created my account as a sockpuppet account before then, then my account would have also been outed for sockpuppetry. You can’t just throw accusations like I am “using the same flawed reasoning as Fobtown”, I “share his interests” and I “ exhibit the same dubious behavioural patterns” as if it’s food. You need to provide the evidence to support your arguments. In your case the evidence you have provided is close to non-existent, and what little evidence which you have provided is not logical at all. If it is true that Fobtown has problems with people removing content, then it makes little sense for you to cite an example of me doing the same thing as proof that we are the same person. For the sake of transparency, I have opened a sock puppet investigation against you based on a reasoned consideration of the existing facts, but in the meantime I will once again ask that you withdraw your bad faith investigation (and unfounded accusations) that you have launched against me Stormandfury (talk) 08:46, 18 December 2022 (UTC)

First off, it's been a long day and mistakes happen. I think if admins took a good look, they would know I made a mistake and wasn't deliberately socking. But my general rule is to never edit the same article with the same account. Because that's socking and also with this account, i no longer edit new articles with the one off exception of today.

My relationship with simpleshooter99 is that I created it and edit with it. But I didn't create it with any intention to sock. i just forget passwords then create new accounts but never edit the same page deliberately with both accounts. And before i knew it, i had multiple accounts with some dormant but i try genuinely hard to never edit the same article with the same accounts.

If you look at my edit history with this account, you can see that I already quit wiki editing on new articles with this account soon after reporting fobtown socks, Because of people like fobtown, where there is no end to edit warring with people like him, And I wish there was a more effective solution as blocks clearly don't work in discouraging him from wiki.

Because Fobtown hounds my edits because he has a grudge against me and so i expect any future edits i make, would be targeted by his socks and not wrong to think that, that is why since July, i do not edit (new articles) in the future with this account becuase he will be guaranteed to try to undo it and i hate that. i no longer use this account unless i am editing high speed rail or huawei.

for all other edits on other articles, i use simpleshooter99, However today, i got my accounts mixed up and assumed that fobtown undid dragonkingluv23 edits. and why on this page, iaccused him of hounding my edits on that pafe. that was obviously me getting mixed up and can be easily seen.

With simpleshooter99, it was my account who reported fobtown in july 2022 and got him blocked for edit warring, and i did edit shanghai communique and now stormandfury also undid all my edits on that account. That is the big reason why i know he is fobtown because he remembers and hound simpleshooter99 hostory edits, the editor that got him blocked in the first place. also his account was created shortly after fobtown got blocked.

The truth is I was actually hoping that fobtown has compleletly forgotten about simpleshooter99. I know he deifiently remembers this account and to avoid him in targeting me. I completely stopped editing nrew articles from this account. Today was a one off and an accident where i somehow thought dragonkingluc23 edited that page and didn;t check.

But all my new edits are dominatly from simpleshooter99 unless I am editing the same pages that dragokingluv23 has edited before. I make sure to not edit the same article with two accounts and my log hostory shows that. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dragonkingluv23 (talk • contribs) 09:31, 18 December 2022 (UTC)
 * So what you are essentially saying is you admit that you’ve been sockpuppeting but nonetheless want a get-out-of-jail card even though you have no issues trying to lock another editor out of Wikipedia by baselessly accusing them of committing the very transgression that you’ve been guilty of. What mind numbing arrogance.
 * P.S User:Dragonkingluv23 if I wanted to hound your sockpuppet Simpleshooter99 account I would have followed you to the articles which you have been obsessing over with that account. These would include the First Opium War, Sino-African relations, Debt trap diplomacy, the 2022 Sri Lankan protests or the 2019–present Sri Lankan economic crisis article. Not an article that you’ve made 3 edits to in the last 4 months. In addition, the protests that you say FobTown2 is referring and which you claim is the “smoking gun” of our sockpuppetry shows no such thing. The BBC article which they cite in their comment  was referring to the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, not the 2022 COVID-19 protests in China. In other words two entirely different protests which you (on the most forgiving of interpretations) accidentally confused. This is further evidence that you have opened this investigation against me in very bad faith and I will once again ask that you withdraw it. Stormandfury (talk) 10:25, 18 December 2022 (UTC)


 * Yes, simpleshooter99 is part of the reason why fobtown got blocked in the first place in july 2022. but it was dragonkingluv23 that singlehandely reported fobtown later socks and got them blocked for undoing dragonkingluv's edists. And i knew that any future edits of dragonkingluv23 was going to meet fobtown's socks signature edit warring, so I mindfully chose not to edit with dragonkingluv23 anymore and only used simpleshooter99 to edit future articles. but it's just naive to think fobtown has forgotten simpleshooter99 as that account was among many other editors who criticised fobtown in July 2022 and got him blocked. he of couse remembers the editors that got him blocked.

And if you look at simpleshooter99 hostory log first page. you can see shanghai communique is one of the more recent edits in august, and i expected one of fobtown's socks to go undo simpleshooter's edits on that page because he has a grudge, and it;s how i am able to know you are fobtown. your account was created shortly after fobtown got blocked, and yesterdaty you target and undo all of simpleshooters' edits on shanghai communique. i have a string feeling that your ip address is ontario canada.

and fyi, i didn't even create simpleshooter99 to avoid fobtown attention. of course he remembers simpleshooter99 and that is evident. i created simpleshooter99 because i forgot the password to dragonkingluv.

the last time the account dragonkingluv edited was back in March 2022. and also that acccount only edited like 3 to 4 articles maximum. i stopped editing ater i forgot my password and it's impossible for that account to ever edit again.

Then many months later I created Simpleshooter99 on may 2022 without thinking too much. I started editing from that account however I Noticed on October 2022 that a sock of Fobtown was undoing my edits on an article that Dragonkingluv had edited on.

and if I edit that same article that Dragonkingluv had edited on using Simpleshooter99. Then that would be against the rules.

the only reason why I created a new account Dragonkingluv23 is to edit articles that Dragonkingluv had edited on. And so I can avoid socking.

If I Instead deliberately used Simpleshooter99 to Edit articles that Dragonkingluv had also edited on (Which is only a few articles), then that would be wrong. the fact that the two accounts barely edit the same artciles - this proves that i make real efforts whenever i can to avoid editing the same article, with dragonkingluv23 and simpleshooter99.

If I Instead deliberately used Simpleshooter99 to constantly Edit articles that Dragonkingluv had also edited on (Which is only a few articles), then that would be wrong. the fact that the two accounts barely edit the same artciles at all - this proves that i made real efforts whenever i can to avoid editing the same article, with both dragonkingluv23 and simpleshooter99.

and don't deflect, i am not the one on trial here. fobtown got blocked because of simplshooter99. he rememebrs simpleshooter99 and yesterday you undid all of simpleshotter's edits on shanghai communique and using the same mass reverting behavioural pattern as blocked fobtown. and that is how i know you are fobtown. and currently i have already reported 2 of fobtowns's socks and got 4 blocked, so i think i know what fobtown is like. :) ¬¬¬¬ — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dragonkingluv23 (talk • contribs) 12:45, 18 December 2022 (UTC)
 * I made those large deletions on the Shanghai communique article because almost all of the content I removed was unsourced. There is nothing improper or illicit in what I did - certainly nothing that would suggest that it was conspiratorial as you are insinuating. Throughout the whole of your last comment, you have yet to produce a single piece of hard evidence that I am guilty of the transgressions you accuse of me of committing and this can only mean that accusations are as hollow as your defence against them.


 * To all administrators and any other outside observers: Dragonkingluv23‘s alternate account Simpleshooter99 appears to be a sockpuppet of a banned user called User:Oppo48. More details (including the “smoking gun”) can be found in the sock puppet investigation I have opened against them. But in the meantime I hope that one of you can close this investigation (and with prejudice). I have spent close to half a day trying to clear my name that’s been unfairly dragged through the mud and it is an experience i never, ever want to go through again Stormandfury (talk) 15:04, 18 December 2022 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * -  Girth Summit  (blether)  16:03, 18 December 2022 (UTC)
 * Checks reveal the following accounts to be ✅ to various FobTown socks:
 * is . They edit from a single IP range, which FobTown and other socks have not edited from (at least not recently), but which has an identical geolocation to FobTown's regular ranges. No comment on the IPs. I'll block the confirmed socks; for Stormandfury.  Girth Summit  (blether)  16:12, 18 December 2022 (UTC)
 * Is it fair to assume that the UAs are either different or the same but very common? My basis for making that assumption is that if the UAs were the same and not-so-common, your finding would have been more likely than possible.--Bbb23 (talk) 16:24, 18 December 2022 (UTC)
 * The UAs are different (and both fairly common). It would be consistent with two people who are unrelated but who happen to live in the same city; it would also be consistent with one person who uses different accounts for when they are on their PC and on their cellphone. Girth Summit  (blether)  16:33, 18 December 2022 (UTC)
 * Is it fair to assume that the UAs are either different or the same but very common? My basis for making that assumption is that if the UAs were the same and not-so-common, your finding would have been more likely than possible.--Bbb23 (talk) 16:24, 18 December 2022 (UTC)
 * The UAs are different (and both fairly common). It would be consistent with two people who are unrelated but who happen to live in the same city; it would also be consistent with one person who uses different accounts for when they are on their PC and on their cellphone. Girth Summit  (blether)  16:33, 18 December 2022 (UTC)


 * I've just blocked as a sock of . They might well be the same person as FobTown, but if they are then they are careful to keep the accounts they use on different devices separate. I don't think it's worth the effort doing a behavioural evaluation at this time. Closing.   Girth Summit  (blether)  13:25, 21 December 2022 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Account created two days after most recent sock bans. Returned to revert edit war the same material at the same High-speed rail in China article as previous socks:. Edit summaries show they are not new and aware of other involved socks in the edit war. I am also under the impression that FobTown and User:Waskerton are the same person per previous location data similarities. Here is User:Stormandfury (Waskerton sock) and RhodeRage both pruning the lead of 2022 COVID-19 protests in China ten days apart:. Both reverted the same content:. Qiushufang (talk) 04:25, 28 December 2022 (UTC)

Comments by other users

 * Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.

I don't know which one is Stormandfury or FobTown, but in my experience these editors on China or Taiwan also tend to argue very persistently with multiple editors in order to defend their wording change or POV, which is usually more negative toward China, and have stopped editing only last week. Their names also relate to racing, roads and cars, navy lingo, sailing etc. There are a few more technical details I can offer, but I don't want to give away too much unnecessarily and hope that this can at least be helpful.

IndyCar1020

Seabourn101

Jargo Nautilus

WikiwiLimeli (talk) 08:02, 28 December 2022 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * RhodeRage is ✅ to multiple socks from the archive. Out of historical interest, I also see a successful login to, which is its own case. GeneralNotability (talk) 14:36, 29 December 2022 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Blocked before for one week as a result of this SI. Same subjects (China and Canada) and views. Similar IP location (Canada). Seems like a WP:DUCK to me. Qiushufang (talk) 09:13, 1 March 2023 (UTC)

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Ranges are now blocked, closing. Thanks, Spicy (talk) 22:11, 6 March 2023 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Simpleshooter666 is engaging in disruptive editing by returning information posted by FobTown and Fobtown's sockpuppet accounts. User returned edits in Censorship of Wikipedia and Chinese Wikipedia. Simpleshooter666 is oddly similar to Simpleshooter99 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Simpleshooter99), a user who FobTown had many disagreements with. Simpleshooter99 posted multiple warnings on FobTown's talk page. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:FobTown)

HertzUranus is returning info from FobTown and FobTown's sockpuppet accounts in Propaganda in China.

The first edit from each account was ~14 hours apart from each other. Simpleshooter666 first edit was made on 22:53, 17 May 2023, whereas HertzUranus first edit was made on 12:58, 18 May 2023. Users posting on similar topics and have identical views as FobTown (China). Seems like a duck WP:DUCK.

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

Comparison of restored sock content:. Qiushufang (talk) 20:22, 22 May 2023 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments
Both confirmed to previous socks. -- zzuuzz (talk) 20:30, 22 May 2023 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Flakpackattack returned information posted by FobTown and Fobtown's sockpuppet accounts. User returned edits in Chinese police overseas service stations. Edit history is very similar to other sockpuppet accounts (alleged malicious activity from China) — Preceding unsigned comment added by LilAhok (talk • contribs) 09:55, 31 May 2023 (UTC)

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

LilAhok what do you mean i returned information from sockpuppet accounts? The information i added wasn't posted by anybody else before and the revision history for the overseas service station article shows this. You are making allegations out of thin air and I ask that you retract this investigation. Flakpackattack (talk) 20:52, 3 June 2023 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * It's not impossible from geolocation but we can not base a block on just that. The behavioral claim falls apart under scrutiny; the overlap is minimal. Drmies (talk) 23:56, 15 July 2023 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Sent to me via email. Dreamy Jazz talk to me &#124; my contributions 22:16, 1 October 2023 (UTC)

Comments by other users

 * Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.

This is interesting. We can start with Huawei and compare these edits from FobTown with Dunns.

Then look at Sri-Lanka economic crisis, Hambantota port, and debt-trap compared to.

Many of these new accounts come in pairs, either opened around the same day or have edited in the same manner.

Sri Lankan economic crisis (2019–present)    

Debt-trap diplomacy    

There are even more at 2022–2023 Pakistani economic crisis.

         

CurryCity (talk) 12:01, 5 October 2023 (UTC)


 * @CurryCity I do agree with you that those accounts, you listed, seems obvious to be one person. All have same patterns and possibly indian nationalist, as they're so pro-indian. I don't think they realize how recognizable their pattern is. But don't also mention me in with them on talk. The only similarity I have with them is that they're a new account and I am a new account, and that's it. I largely disagree with their views and edits, and even reverted one of their disinfo. As you haven't yourself, I also filed a proper extensive SPI against them today, and hope it gets technical evidence to confirm what I said. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Sockpuppet_investigations/AriaNowen KirklandWayne (talk) 01:07, 9 October 2023 (UTC)
 * My apologies for any mistakes. There were many to go through mixed in with other new accounts. Compared to the rest, FobTown and DunnsMainDeliFan now seem much closer. CurryCity (talk) 15:12, 10 October 2023 (UTC)


 * I had seen FobTown and his socks regularly around on articles related to China. Like Peng Shuai and sporting events hosted by China.

On the Peng Shuai article and many others, I know almost all of his sock edits had later gotten reverted by a user LilAhok But there's now a new user undoing a lot of LilAhok's edits on articles related to China. And think this persistent hound - OneWordWonder, is very likely a sock of FobTown. I glanced at OneWordWonder's most recent edits and he edits WarHammer a lot. So I looked at the WarHammer article's history briefly and see FobTown also made edits on that page. Also his past blocked socks were really into editing warhammer as well. Seems OneWordWonder interests is video games, cars, Ontario Canada, and putting things negatively of China> Fobtown has the same traits. And also undoing multiple edits recently by claiming it doesn't support the source despite it actually does. That was suss to me. FobTown socks was into cars. OneWordWonder seems to be as well, and even add junk news to car topics. 
 * Both also make lots of edits on public locales within Ontario Canada. I guess they live in Ontario so same location.



Fobtown and his socks would also post China news articles on their talk page then quickly revert it. 
 * OneWordWonder does the same quirky thing. What even is that??

A quick comparison into Fobtown past socks with OneWordWonder, has made me convinced there's something there. But I only searched for a little while. But it may be of interest to you.

I think if you do a SPI Timeline Editor tool check, you will probably also see a lot of other edits on same articles that isn't likely to be a coincidence. And too many similarities to be different people.KirklandWayne (talk) 11:05, 15 October 2023 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Dreamy Jazz talk to me &#124; my contributions 22:16, 1 October 2023 (UTC)
 * At minimum - Similar ranges and IPs to previous socks. Dreamy <i style="color:#d00">Jazz</i> talk to me &#124; my contributions 22:17, 1 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Signup consecutive to an edit by a previous sock., closing. MarioGom (talk) 13:52, 24 October 2023 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Same interests. From interactions: Warhammer 40k, 24 Sussex Drive, Evil Twin (film) , Toronto Eaton Centre, WNBA , André Dallaire. Qiushufang (talk) 03:58, 16 October 2023 (UTC)


 * It's suspicious that both this and the above account (DunnsMainDeliFan) have no overlap at all despite sharing the same interests as FobTown. Qiushufang (talk) 23:16, 19 October 2023 (UTC)

Comments by other users

 * Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.

User is also demonstrating very similar behavior to other sockpuppet accounts: makes negative edits on Chinese related articles after making edits in other unrelated articles, engages in citation overkill and refuses to engage in consensus building on talk page before making an edit.

edit for Wu Yanni: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wu_Yanni&diff=prev&oldid=1180037024

edit for Lin Yuwei: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lin_Yuwei&diff=prev&oldid=1180037043

edit for unit 731 https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Unit_731&diff=prev&oldid=1180578976

edit for Asian Games 2022 https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2022_Asian_Games&diff=prev&oldid=1180578553 (negative edit about China on sports related articles is also similar to FobTown activities)

each article has a section in talk page that is related to information posted by user, but user refuses to use it.

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * and are ✅ to each other -- Guerillero Parlez Moi 20:41, 20 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Signup consecutive to an edit by a previous sock., closing. MarioGom (talk) 13:53, 24 October 2023 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Account created four days after last sock's ban. Restored content by sock User:HertzUranus at Alibaba Group:. Restored content by sock User:RhodeRage at High-speed rail in China:. Qiushufang (talk) 23:38, 1 November 2023 (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

 * ✅ to the previous socks DunnsMainDeliFan and OneWordWonder plus the following accounts:
 * Mz7 (talk) 06:55, 4 November 2023 (UTC)
 * Mz7 (talk) 06:55, 4 November 2023 (UTC)
 * Mz7 (talk) 06:55, 4 November 2023 (UTC)
 * Mz7 (talk) 06:55, 4 November 2023 (UTC)
 * Mz7 (talk) 06:55, 4 November 2023 (UTC)
 * Mz7 (talk) 06:55, 4 November 2023 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Admitted to being a sock. WP:DUCK. Qiushufang (talk) 14:52, 7 November 2023 (UTC)

Comments by other users

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"If someone openly declares himself to be a sockmaster, we take his word for it" Waylon111 (talk) 18:33, 7 November 2023 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * ✅ plus the following accounts:
 * Mz7 (talk) 07:41, 8 November 2023 (UTC)
 * Mz7 (talk) 07:41, 8 November 2023 (UTC)
 * Mz7 (talk) 07:41, 8 November 2023 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
There was some edit-warring going on with new accounts at Confucius Institute and I noticed an earlier sockpuppet making similar edits, User:JeanBillie (and User:HertzUranus, too). They were identified as a sockpuppet of this account so I'm just checking to see if these new accounts were socks as well. They only edited on Nov. 8th but they were also targeting one of our longtime editors so I thought it would be important to tag them in case they chose to return. Thank you. Liz <sup style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: #006400;">Read! Talk! 04:07, 20 November 2023 (UTC)
 * User:74.211.96.51 is also targeting this editor but I know you don't connect IP accounts to registered accounts. Just thought I'd mention it here. Liz <sup style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: #006400;">Read! Talk! 04:11, 20 November 2023 (UTC)


 * Well, thanks for checking any way, zzuuzz. It's seems unusual that they both edited just one day but if there is no connection, then there isn't. Your help is apppreciated especially since it seems like SPI is loaded with cases right now. Thank you. Liz <sup style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: #006400;">Read! Talk! 03:27, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments
These two appear unrelated (to each other and to FobTown) and doing useful stuff. The IP appears to be some sort of proxy, so that's anyone's guess (could be entirely innocent). I did pick up a confirmed FobTown sock elsewhere:. -- zzuuzz (talk) 19:19, 30 November 2023 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
https://sigma.toolforge.org/editorinteract.py?users=FobTown&users=Etobcoke

I may be wrong, but not all the time. <b style="color:#9E0508;background:#FFFFFF"> Aloha27</b>  talk  16:09, 17 April 2024 (UTC)

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Account created shortly after the last sock in the archive was nabbed. -   Girth Summit <sub style="font-family:Segoe print;color:blue;"> (blether)  15:06, 21 April 2024 (UTC)
 * Their footprint is a good match for that of FobTown and associated socks - blocking and tagging. There are a couple of other low-edit accounts that might also be them and which were created at around the same time, but there isn't a smoking gun and the editing interests aren't a great match, so I'm going to leave those for now; come back if you see any more suspicious behaviour. Girth Summit <sub style="font-family:Segoe print;color:blue;"> (blether)  15:15, 21 April 2024 (UTC)