Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Jerusalem21/Archive

Report date March 10 2009, 07:27 (UTC)

 * Suspected sockpuppets

Copied from User talk:Jerusalem21
 * Evidence submitted by Wikidemon (talk)

The seven user/IPs on this list have been primarily or exclusively single-purpose accounts used for editing only one article, Aaron Klein. More than one editor is quite certain that all of these accounts have been and/or are used by the subject himself.


 * SandyBMW (Talk) (contribs) (January 2007)
 * 89.1.187.177 (talk) (contribs) (November-December 2006)
 * MikeJason (talk) (contribs) (November-December 2006)
 * 89.1.187.215 (talk) (contribs) (August-November 2006)
 * Joshua1988 (talk) (contribs) (September 2006)
 * 192.118.11.112 (talk) (contribs) (March-December 2006)
 * Jerusalem21 (talk) (contribs) (March 2006) (Wrote first version)

Every image ever placed in the article has been uploaded by one or more of these user/IPs. Every such image has been obtained from World Net Daily. All have persistently added add far more external links to that single site than Wikipedia consensus deems appropriate.

All of these user/IPs have repeatedly violated key Wikipedia policies and Wikipedia guidelines (COI editing - appear to be Aaron Klein editing his own article); disruptive editing. All used similar tone.


 * Comments by accused parties    See Defending yourself against claims.

May want to add and. These two of mine are clearly the same user and that really isn't a problem yet as they both have a grand total of 2 edits each (the IP may have just become an account). But all 4 of their edits are to attack the motives of another editor -- thus [] and so [] -- in more or less the same language. I admit, it's hard to believe that if socking is going on (since more socking at this point making it easier to figure out seems stupid) this would be the same user. But we've all seen it before. Poor man's CU tells me this IP is coming from Petach Tikva, an industrial town not far from Tel Aviv.Bali ultimate (talk) 21:47, 10 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Comments by other users
 * Agree that they are clearly the same user. Both exhibit aggressive use of passive tense bureaucrat speak (though it could be a non-native English thing?): "His changes will be monitored" for Jackinthebox25, and "should not be allowed to determine policy" for the IP, both directed within a short time at User:Tharshammer.  But is there anything other than both coming from Israel to suggest they are socks from the same farm as Jerusalem21? Wikidemon (talk) 23:38, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

Additional information, this creation by Joshua1988 where he states "This is Aaron Klein, Jerusalem bureau chief of WorldNetDaily.com. I am the holder of the copyright and I give permission for Wikipedia to use the photo. It os published on my news site at [ http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47297 ]Joshua1988 15:22, 5 September 2006 (UTC)" TharsHammar (talk) 22:02, 10 March 2009 (UTC)
 * The edit summary by from SandyBMW a deleted picture can be seen here, again it says "Note: This is Aaron Klein of WorldNetDaily, holder of the copyright. I give Wikipedia" and then it cuts off. The only 2 edits by SandyBMW were attempts to add this picture into the Aaron Klein article .  TharsHammar (talk) 22:31, 10 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Correction, the first edit by Sandy was to add a picture that Jerusalem21 created, . The second edit was an attempt to add the above-mentioned picture in.  TharsHammar (talk) 22:36, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

Additional additional information, the IP 192.118.11.112 made this edit which was quickly revereted, then MikeJason made this edit  with the edit summary "signed in with an account name, now which deals do you want to make; this text is fine" which removed the tag that was removed by the IP, placed on the article by another editor, then removed again by MikeJason. TharsHammar (talk) 22:16, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

Not sure if this should go in the comments by accused party section, but   has an email response from from Klein that states "I am not "Jerusalem21," but I do know the Wikipedia user (he works with me and does research for me), and I worked with him on this story, which focused on investigating allegations I had received from others of Wikipedia scrubbing Obama's page. I wanted to personally oversee whether indeed criticism of Obama was being deleted." TharsHammar (talk) 23:47, 10 March 2009 (UTC)
 * As a matter of agency theory and WP:MEAT policy I think that makes Jerusalem21 indistinguishable from Klein with respect to the recent edits.Wikidemon (talk) 00:56, 11 March 2009 (UTC)
 * The dates indicated are from 2006. This seems a bit pointy and witch hunty to me.  If I'd known we were going on a fishing expedition I would have brought my pole.  Isn't the vindictive AfD enough?  I would think CU has better things to do than chase down conspiracy theories.  What exactly is the evidence of sock puppetry?  Were any of the users blocked?  Were they using multiple accounts to influence consensus?  Win an edit war? Obviously the article was created with a COI.  Warn the editor.  The allegation of meat puppetry is laughable.  Don't we have better things to do?  You know, like improving the encyclopedia? ChildofMidnight (talk) 01:05, 11 March 2009 (UTC)
 * The most recent known edits are February 24, 2009. The sockpuppetry evidence is blatant, and now, admitted to.  The multiple accounts were used in tandem in 2006 and 2007 to win edit wars by adding, and defending, COI content to promote Aaron Klein.  One of the accounts was used by Klein last month under false pretenses to incite a block and, through off-wiki agitation, bring disrepute on the project and trigger a major meltdown on the Obama page.  The entire use of these accounts on Wikipedia from 2006 until today seems to be deceptive and in bad faith.  Klein publicly misrepresented what he is doing here, and when caught, made further misrepretations in the denial.  Does he plan to ever use these accounts again?  If so, we have every right to be concerned - in fact, it is more than likely - that he will suddenly become a real Wikipedian and edit in good faith.  If he plans to abandon them, there is no harm in blocking them.  We should not let known fake accounts stay open though. Wikidemon (talk) 01:36, 11 March 2009 (UTC)
 * What do the three edits Feb. 24 have to do with the sock puppetry investigation of COI from 2006 and early 2007? This all seems like a big stretch to formulate a grand conspiracy theory where there isn't any. Editors were aware of the COI back when it happened (years ago) and dealt with it.  The article is edited and watched closely now.


 * WP:SOAP-box, WP:NPA commented out - Wikidemon (talk) 05:26, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

User:Jerusalem21 is blocked indefinitely now anyway so this is all moot. Seems like a lot of hoo ha to me. ChildofMidnight (talk) 05:05, 11 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Clerk, patrolling admin and checkuser comments
 * Can we have some diffs that show that the accounts are socks? An admin will likely look through the article history eventually... but we are extremely backlogged at the moment so better evidence will lead to cases being closed faster. ——  nix eagle email me 16:29, 10 March 2009 (UTC)


 * I'm inclined to believe that these are either socking or meating but I'd be hesitant to block. Perhaps an admin with bigger nuts can do the job. Scarian  Call me Pat!  21:59, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

Mayalld (talk) 16:17, 11 March 2009 (UTC) Mayalld (talk) 16:17, 11 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Conclusions
 * Blocked the remaining users and tagged as such. Did not bother with the IP addresses, but if there is recent activity on those accounts regarding the specific articles detailed, then blocks can be issued. seicer  |  talk  |  contribs  16:12, 11 March 2009 (UTC)