Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/JMB1980/Archive

Suspected sockpuppets
Since 2022, JMB1980 and Baronet13 have been nominating articles at AfD (JMB1980 AfD stats, Baronet13 AfD stats), with a tendency to focus on subjects with autism/Asperger's. Both seem to have a precocious understanding of Wikipedia policy and processes, similar time cards, and some similar editing characteristics.

I initially began this review after noticing discussing a potential for a disproportionate and discriminatory effect when non-diffusing categories, which are generally for disadvantaged groups are used for AfD patrolling ; I then misremembered an AfD nom I thought was made by JMB1980 that turned out to have been made by Baronet13, which led to further review.

JMB1980 registered on 31 January 2019. Their second edit was an article submitted through AfC. After a few more edits in 2019, they were inactive until February 2022, and their 12th edit was nominating Adam Bradford at AfD. The article was deleted, but my brief search for sources recently found potential support for GNG/BASIC, including a feature noting "he has Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism" ; ; ; ;.


 * On 13 March 2022, JMB1980 nominated Gunilla Gerland at AfD. Gerland is an author and lecturer on the topic of autism, and has written about her experience with Asperger's. During the AfD, comments at 18 March note that this nominator has made several AfDs, all of which are of a similar tone; lack of checking and due diligence, primarily targeting biographies on the same general topic — authors with connections to autism. The AfD result was SNOW keep.


 * On 14 March 2022, JMB1980 nominated Susanna Tamaro at AfD. Tamaro is an author with Asperger's. During the AfD, on 17 March I commented about the similarity with the Gerland nomination, and on 18 March Montanabw comments a note that this nominator has made several other AfD noms of similar dubious quality and also comments to reiterate concern that the nominator is perhaps inadvertently, and perhaps in good faith, repeatedly nominating neurodiverse authors for deletion. The AfD result was keep.


 * On 15 March 2022, JMB1980 nominated Scott Steindorff at AfD. Steindorff is a filmmaker with Asperger's. During the AfD, on 18 March, I commented Similar to other subjects with Asperger's syndrome recently brought to AfD by this nominator, it appears that WP:BASIC/WP:GNG notability is supported by an online search. The AfD result was keep.


 * On 17 March 2022, JMB1980 nominated A. R. Morlan at AfD. Morlan is an author with Asperger's. During the AfD, on 17 March, I commented Similar to other authors with Asperger's syndrome recently brought to AfD by this nominator, an online search finds.... The AfD result was keep "per clear consensus."

JMB1980 stopped editing on 17 March and began editing again on 1 April.

Baronet13 registered on 18 March 2022. On 22 March, they filed an ANI complaint. During the ANI discussion, comments to Baronet13 on 22 March, For an account that was created 4 days ago, you cite policy as if it were an old friend.


 * On 18 August 2022, Baronet13 nominated Chuck Tingle at AfD. Tingle is an author with Asperger's. The AfD result was keep per SNOW.


 * On 19 September 2022, JMB1980 nominated Wayne Anderson (singer) at AfD. The AfD result was delete, but sources that may help support GNG/BASIC notability include a feature with Anderson stating: "I also have Aspergers" ; ; ;.


 * On 29 October 2022, Baronet13 nominated Camilla Henemark at AfD. Henemark is a singer, actress, political spokesperson and former fashion model with Asperger's. The AfD result was keep.


 * On 29 November 2022, JMB1980 nominated Jerry Newport at AfD. Newport was an author, advocate, and public speaker who was diagnosed with Asperger's. The AfD result was soft delete. I requested a refund and recently published the joint biography Jerry and Mary Newport to mainspace.


 * On 11 December 2022, Baronet13 nominated Nina Marker at AfD. Marker is a Danish fashion model and public speaker on neurodevelopmental disorders and mental health issues; diagnosed with Asperger's. The AfD result was keep. On 18 December 2022, Baronet13 nominated Heidi Mortenson at AfD. Mortenson is a Danish musician who owns the Wired Records label; discusses their experience with Asperger syndrome here: . The AfD result was delete. On 20 December 2022, Baronet13 nominated Wired Records at AfD, and the result was delete.


 * On 12 February 2023, Baronet13 nominated Lizzy Clark. Clark is an actress with Asperger's who played a character on television with Asperger's, See e.g. Guardian source. The AfD result was delete. On 22 February 2023, Baronet13 nominated Penelope Trunk at AfD (4th nomination). Trunk is an author and entrepreneur; the article includes a link to her writing about her experience with Asperger's . The AfD result was keep.


 * On 23 February 2023, JMB1980 nominated Linus Söderström at AfD. Söderström is a hockey player diagnosed with Asperger's. The AfD result was keep.


 * On 25 February 2023, Baronet13 nominated Dawn Prince-Hughes at AfD. Prince-Hughes is an American anthropologist, primatologist, ethologist, and author, including of her memoir Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism. The AfD result was keep.


 * On 15 April 2023, JMB1980 nominated A. R. Morlan at AfD again. The AfD result was a SNOW keep.


 * On 15 May 2023, Baronet13 nominated Sean Barron at AfD. Barron is a journalist, author, and public speaker with autism. The AfD result was delete, but sources that may help support GNG/BASIC notability include ; ; ;.


 * On 10 June 2023, Baronet13 nominated Merc Fenn Wolfmoor at AfD. Wolfmoor is an author who has published social media stating they are autistic, including at what appears to be their website: . The AfD is pending, but based on the strength of the first two keep !votes, snow may be in the forecast.


 * On 12 June 2023, JMB1980 nominated Andrew Tompkins at AfD. The article says in addition to their music career, Tompkins is the CEO of a therapy center, "especially aimed towards neurodivergent individuals, including those with autism and ADHD which Tompkins himself has been diagnosed with."

Also, in the Penelope Trunk AfD noted above, 's comment includes on 23 February 2023 "it's clear that whoever maint tagged this article - festooned it", and this appears to refer to what Baronet13 did in an edit before the AfD nom:. The history of deleted articles may show similar conduct. Before the Jerry Newport AfD, JMB1980 seems to have similarly "festooned" the article with tags:. After starting the Susanna Tomaro AfD, JMB1980 seems to have similarly "festooned" the article with tags:.

Checkuser requested to check for sleepers. Thank you, Beccaynr (talk) 05:05, 14 June 2023 (UTC)

Another potential similarity is an apparent tendency to make similar arguments at AfD, and both have used the phrase 'prove notability', i.e. There also seem to be some similarities in the Gunilla Gerland AfD (by JMB1980) and the Dawn Prince-Hughes AfD (by Baronet13), e.g. re: book reviews: Other potential similarities include AfD nomination statements, e.g. Beccaynr (talk) 14:49, 16 June 2023 (UTC) comment updates - Beccaynr (talk) 18:39, 16 June 2023 (UTC); Beccaynr (talk) 19:15, 16 June 2023 (UTC)
 * A. R. Morlan AfD - the second nomination by JMB1980 ... Secondary sources are needed to prove notability.
 * Merc Fenn Wolfmoor AfD - Baronet13 - None of these are significant coverage in a secondary source. [...] Nothing here proves notability.
 * Gunilla Gerland AfD - JMB1980 - ...they contain little to no substantive and detailed information about the subject of this article.
 * Dawn Prince-Hughes AfD - Baronet13 - - ...contain little or no substantive information about Prince-Hughes that could be used in this article...
 * Adam Bradford AfD - JMB1980 - Relies heavily on primary sources and trivial mentions.
 * Chuck Tingle AfD - Baronet13 - the article relies heavily on primary sources
 * Wayne Anderson (singer) AfD - JMB1980 - relies too heavily on primary sources
 * Lizzy Clark AfD - Baronet13 - this article relies too heavily on primary sources
 * Sean Barron AfD - Baronet13 - The article relies too heavily on primary sources
 * Gunilla Gerland AfD - JMB1980 - due to the aforementioned lack of secondary sources, I don't believe this problem can be remedied without relying almost exclusively on primary sources.
 * Nina Marker AfD - Baronet13 - there may be no secondary sources and the article may rely exclusively on primary sources.
 * Andrew Tompkins AfD - JMB1980 - Relies exclusively on primary sources.
 * As additional evidence that may further support a check for sleepers, which is in part based on the appearance of SPA activity focused on attempts to delete articles about subjects with autism/Aspergers (as well as the 2019 to 2022 'sleeping' of the JMB1980 account, and the possible creation of a sock that does not appear to edit the exact same articles), at 22:35, 16 June 2023‎, JMB1980 nominated the recently-published Jerry and Mary Newport article noted above for a G4 speedy deletion, which was declined at 01:14, 17 June 2023 . Beccaynr (talk) 14:22, 17 June 2023 (UTC)
 * As an update, I found an overlap in article editing: Baronet13 nominated Heather Kuzmich (4th nomination) today. JMB1980 had !voted delete, in the previous AfD that closed as no consensus, and then "festooned" the article with maintenance tags after that AfD closed . Kuzmich is a former America's Next Top Model contestant who revealed her Asperger's/autism on the show. Beccaynr (talk) 23:05, 26 June 2023 (UTC)
 * As an update, JMB1980 seems to be making a similar argument at WT:Notability at 16:37, 30 June 2023 ("a single sentence") that Baronet13 has made in the Heather Kuzmich (4th nomination) AfD at 06:35, 27 June 2023  ("a single sentence"). Beccaynr (talk) 16:36, 2 July 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

 * - Mz7 (talk) 17:35, 8 July 2023 (UTC)
 * ✅. . Although the two accounts have minimal page overlap, Beccaynr has painted a compelling picture of using multiple accounts to avoid scrutiny. In particular, the two accounts share the same focus in nominating autism-related articles for deletion, often repeating the same arguments, and on at least one occasion, this user used one account to support an AfD, and when it later closed as "no consensus", the user used the other account to re-nominate the article for deletion (see Beccaynr's comment dated 23:05, 26 June 2023 above). This is an illegitimate use for multiple accounts, especially because it splits one's editing history (making it harder to detect patterns in your contributions), and it makes it appear there are two separate people when there is just one., closing. Mz7 (talk) 17:59, 8 July 2023 (UTC)