Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Manhattan Samurai/Archive

Report date February 23 2009, 16:05 (UTC)

 * Suspected sockpuppets


 * Evidence submitted by Bali ultimate (talk)

DFW tragedy is looking pretty ducky for Manhattan Samurai who was had a series of socks lately that have been getting blocked on sight. DFW is currently blocked, but i'll put a note on their talk page and instruct them to respond if they'd like there. Ep1997 is not blocked, but i've tagged him as suspected.

The request is being made as a check on my and others' judgement; there have been so many socks, perhaps we're seeing shadows. In particular it's possible that DFW is responding in good faith to offline canvassing by MS, which is creating the ducky appearance (though i'm not convinced). DFW has protested innocence on his/her talk page.

DFW was an SPA created to edit David Foster Wallace, one of Manhattan Samurai's interests, in September 2008. It made 15 edits over a course of a few days then and dissapeared. This is characteristic of the puppetmaster; he has used dozens of SPA's in more or less the same fashion on a variety of articles. DFW returned to wikipedia a few days ago and its second edit was to Featured article candidates/Ralph Bakshi, another MS interest, with this rather characteristic (to me) MS edit summary "support in light of belligerent voters Opposing for flip reasons." It then went to ANI claiming to be acting on Manhattan Samurai's behalf (MS has dubbed himself Lex Luthor, per here ) DFW then made this edit referencing his ongoing correspondence with this fellow today (note: it's part of the MS game to trash/seek to delete his "own" work).

Ep1997 popped up on the same day to reintroduce text originally placed into Jim Knipfel by confirmed MS sock. That article has been littered with MS socks; they're mostly stale and so I imagine of no interest here, but here's a random selection of likely ones to give a flavor of the extent of the problem. and.

Both DFW and EP1997 have been active on days that other MS socks have been active but with no apparent time overlaps. Given MS' claimed intention to use sock armies to fill wikipedia with disinformation, I hope this can be looked into. Apologies if i've screwed up the formatting or otherwise filed this report incorrectly. Thanks. Bali ultimate (talk) 16:05, 23 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Comments by accused parties    See Defending yourself against claims.


 * Comments by other users

Requested by Bali ultimate (talk) 16:05, 23 February 2009 (UTC)
 * CheckUser requests


 * Clerk, patrolling admin and checkuser comments

IP blocked. Nishkid64 (Make articles, not wikidrama) 18:59, 23 February 2009 (UTC) -- Peter Symonds ( talk ) 19:05, 23 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Conclusions
 * ✅ the following as :

Report date March 12 2009, 20:28 (UTC)

 * Suspected sockpuppets

It's hard to know which ones to add, since there have been so many either blocked or unblocked but stale and technically still free to edit. The most recent confirmed socks at the last sockpuppet investigation were


 * Evidence submitted by Bali ultimate (talk)

This series of edits made by User:Caverty and just reverted by me here were to reinsert material original inserted by Manhattan Samurai and/or a number of his socks. MS' MO is to use dozens of throway socks -- making 10-15 edits in an area of interest, then create a new SPA to carry on. Since he's been banned he's been resurecting these socks to evade the ban. Interestingly, his first ever edit was to ask for help in creating an article on Scattershot (book), yet the article was instead created by User:Once on a vending machine (a classic MS username) a few hours later. Caverty then more or less disappeared until today. I'm asking for this investigation to be fair -- I guess it's possible it just quacks all over the place by coincidence. Since MS has said his intention is to use socks to fill the encyclopedia with disinformation, I hope this can be looked into. I'll notify caverty after filing this report. Bali ultimate (talk) 20:28, 12 March 2009 (UTC)
 * cmt User:Yper.digest is definitely manhattan samurai based on editing interests and edit summaries (compare this [] to these by already blocked MS socks here []. This sock is meddling with AfD's and becoming disruptive.Bali ultimate (talk) 11:55, 13 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Cmt I've just added User:Gremme an SPA that is behaving disruptively on an AfD for an article that Manhattan Samurai created and guarded for years.Bali ultimate (talk) 23:38, 13 March 2009 (UTC)


 * Comments by accused parties    See Defending yourself against claims.


 * Comments by other users
 * Added User:Cranium bloat as semi-obvious, also interested in Alan Cabal. // roux   01:52, 14 March 2009 (UTC)

Requested by Bali ultimate (talk) 20:28, 12 March 2009 (UTC)
 * CheckUser requests

Mayalld (talk) 07:50, 13 March 2009 (UTC)

Additional information needed: Please provide a code letter. SPCUClerkbot (talk) 20:28, 12 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Clerk, patrolling admin and checkuser comments

is ❌. is. Nishkid64 (Make articles, not wikidrama) 03:00, 15 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Conclusions
 * ✅ the following as Manhattan Samurai:

Mayalld (talk) 19:35, 15 March 2009 (UTC) Mayalld (talk) 19:35, 15 March 2009 (UTC)

Report date March 17 2009, 22:31 (UTC)

 * Suspected sockpuppets

The most recently CU confirmed socks of MS are
 * Evidence submitted by Bali ultimate (talk)
 * Evidence submitted by Bali ultimate (talk)
 * Evidence submitted by Bali ultimate (talk)
 * Evidence submitted by Bali ultimate (talk)
 * Evidence submitted by Bali ultimate (talk)
 * Evidence submitted by Bali ultimate (talk)
 * Evidence submitted by Bali ultimate (talk)

This brand new user is clearly a sock of someone. His first edit was to start a secret project of some kind or another in userspace ; when asked about it he was evasive and weird.. Two of his first five edits were to an AfD i'm involved in and related civility case -- since MS is a stalker of mine, and his second edit was to come to an obscure wittiquette alert I'm involved with babbling about "I am afraid that people will start claiming I'm a sock and ban me" (his fourth edit to wikipeda ) i think it's probably him. But again, clearly a sock of someone and trolling. His sixth edit was to join the ARS yet his eighth edit is vote "speedy delete violation of G12" in an AfD. His 15th or so edit was to revive a long dead wikipedia project. If not MS, it's a duck for someone. Checkuser would confirm, I've no doubt, but this is so obviously a sock and already involved in trolling/disruption that I didn't think it neccessary.Bali ultimate (talk) 22:31, 17 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Oh yeah, other comments about him can be found at AN/I here if it's useful..
 * As this user is getting heavily involved in deletion discussions, I hope this can be looked at soon.Bali ultimate (talk) 02:33, 18 March 2009 (UTC)


 * Comments by accused parties    See Defending yourself against claims.


 * Comments by other users


 * Clerk, patrolling admin and checkuser comments
 * Not sure how clerks want to handle this, but this fellow is a sock of Pickbothmanlol, rather than Manhattan Samurai. This guy has been quite active recently.
 * Appears to have already been blocked and tagged as a sock of Pickbothmanlol, no further action needed really. Tiptoety  talk 04:07, 18 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Conclusions
 * ❌ This user is unrelated to Manhattan Samurai's latest socks. -- Versa geek  03:06, 18 March 2009 (UTC)
 * this user is a sock of Pickbothmanlol, and he has been blocked accordingly. -- Versa geek  03:52, 18 March 2009 (UTC)

Report date April 2 2009, 12:35 (UTC)

 * Suspected sockpuppets

(I'll explain why this one below.)


 * Evidence submitted by Bali ultimate (talk)

I feel that this is a waste of time, but a number of people who are happy that a few of the socks agree with them at an ongoing DRV are skeptical that blocks based on the duck test are sufficient. I'm 95% certain all are MS. I'm 5% willing to believe, that the jarmancooper accounts are in fact Alan Cabal the subject of the DRV based on the recent edits by. Not that that makes much difference; there's been a close relationship between MS and the IPs who always claim to be Cabal at DRVs and AfDs. Sorry to waste checkuser's time, but other editors do't want to put this bone down, and apparently wont until this step is taken (which will help cut off the disruption that is currently being enabled by their, uhm, "skepticism.")


 * Comments by accused parties    See Defending yourself against claims.

? It does not matter one way or the other whether the account was pro or con an DRV, as it is already fully understood that remarks by a SPA account will be disregarded... and such was understood when the remark was through guideline tagged as one made by a SPA. What became worth noting is the discussion itself being tainted by the tossing around of accusations that the account was a sock of a vilified and banned user. I have no problem agreeing that User:Jarmancooper and User:Jarmancooper2 are SPA socks of somebody. I cannot accept one edit and reference to an essay as being enough to determine just who that user might be. I request that CU reopen and make the check, to at least either confirm or remove the taint of the Manhattan Samurai name from the blocked accounts. More to the point, if these two additional names are not socks of Manhattan Samuria, it is important to find out just who IS using these socks abusively. The Duck essay does imply socks. But does not imply just whose. Thank you.  Schmidt,  MICHAEL Q. 18:10, 2 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Comments by other users
 * CheckUser is not for fishing. Mayalld (talk) 20:28, 2 April 2009 (UTC)

Requested by Bali ultimate (talk) 12:35, 2 April 2009 (UTC)
 * CheckUser requests

WP:DUCK applies even if some people want to stamp their feet. Mayalld (talk) 16:12, 2 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Clerk, patrolling admin and checkuser comments

All the accounts have been blocked, as they are clearly abusive sockpuppets. Whilst there is a dispute as to whose socks they are, there is no dispute that they are socks. Using CheckUser merely to satisfy curiosity would be outside policy. Mayalld (talk) 20:34, 2 April 2009 (UTC) Mayalld (talk) 20:34, 2 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Conclusions

Report date April 25 2009, 21:09 (UTC)

 * Suspected sockpuppets


 * Evidence submitted by —  Dæ dαlus Contribs 

The first sock listed was blocked after being found to be editing a key article that had to do with MS's MO, the second three socks listed all found the first sock's page after he was blocked.

The last suspected sock makes an edit to a hidden sub-page of another user, whereas there are no links to this user in the user's previous first three edits. Even further, the user make an edit to a sockpuppet report on ANI where he is listed as a possible sock, and yet, not one person has yet to alert this new user of it's existance.


 * Comments by accused parties    See Defending yourself against claims.


 * Comments by other users

Requested by —  Dæ dαlus Contribs  21:09, 25 April 2009 (UTC)
 * CheckUser requests

Checkuser is required to see if the fourth account listed is indeed one of the MS socks, and not some random new user acting suspicious for odd reasons. It will also help determine in a new rangeblock can be issued.—  Dæ dαlus Contribs  21:09, 25 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Clerk, patrolling admin and checkuser comments
 * I'd say this is . I leave it open so a more seasoned CU can check it if they know MS's pattern better. -- lucasbfr  talk 22:00, 25 April 2009 (UTC)

Does not look like there is anything left do here. Tiptoety talk 00:00, 5 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Conclusions
 * Ready to Serve is, as he appears to be editing from an open proxy. Orbro appears ❌. No comment on other accounts. A case regarding The Wurdalak is currently being handled by the Audit Subcommittee. Nishkid64 (Make articles, not wikidrama) 23:47, 2 May 2009 (UTC)

Report date July 12 2009, 05:51 (UTC)

 * Suspected sockpuppets


 * Evidence submitted by Jayron32


 * Fairly obvious Manhattan Samurai sock, check his contribs. New user shows up out of the blue, edits Is Google Making Us Stupid?, then nominates it for FA.  Also asking for a checkuser, since Manhattan Samurai is a prolific sockpuppeteer known to maintain a large sockfarm (see Category:Suspected Wikipedia sockpuppets of Manhattan Samurai and Category:Wikipedia sockpuppets of Manhattan Samurai, it is likely that there are other sleepers out there. --Jayron32. talk . say no to drama  05:51, 12 July 2009 (UTC)


 * Comments by accused parties    See Defending yourself against claims.


 * Comments by other users

If this is a sock, I'll revert all edits, unless someone beats me to it.—  Dæ dαlus Contribs  05:54, 12 July 2009 (UTC) Requested by Jayron32. talk . say no to drama 05:51, 12 July 2009 (UTC)
 * CheckUser requests


 * Clerk, patrolling admin and checkuser comments


 * Note that the user has been blocked by CU Nishkid64 as a sock of User:The Wurdulak. Nathan  T 14:18, 13 July 2009 (UTC)


 * Conclusions