Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Middleamericajames/Archive

12 September 2015

 * Suspected sockpuppets




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I came across these editors via the AfD for Poison In The Grapes. It took me a while, but I think that Middleamericajames is the earliest account.

After the page came to AfD Jacobsladderrack came to the discussion and started making accusations of impropriety, including deliberate harassment/bullying of the film's director (Matthew Berdyck) with the statement "Wikipedia has been trashing this poor guys name and career for years." Soon after 330763Time came into the article making similar accusations and arguing for inclusion. Soon after an IP claiming to be Berdyck came into the article and made similar claims. He also posted several statements that boil down to him hinting that he could get Wikimedia to put a stop to the AfD because he lived in the same building where several of its members resided.

I was somewhat hesitant to bring this to SPI (because I wanted to compile more evidence) until I saw that Matthew Berdyck was protected by Ohnoitsjamie last year because of "disruptive users threatening sockpuppetry". There was no article history but a search through ANI showed that Berdyck had posted there back in March 2014, making accusations of bullying. It took me a while, but I found the draft article that the IP was referring to, Wikipedia talk:Articles for creation/Matthew Berdyck, which was deleted as a WP:G11. As someone who regularly deletes, restores, and screens AfC articles, I have to say that something has to be incredibly promotional to be deleted via G11.

The page had been created by MiddleAmericaJames, who made similar accusations of bullying at at the AfC help desk, and was eventually blocked for disruptive editing. He also tag teamed with the IP 216.189.170.139 at the help desk to make similar accusations of bullying akin to what's going on in the AfD. At least one editor questioned whether they were two separate people as they claimed to be or if they were the same person.

During the ANI thread there were threats that they'd come back. It might have taken them a while, but it looks like they're back. Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡)  10:10, 12 September 2015 (UTC)
 * Since he made threats of IP hopping I'm not entirely sure what can be found here, but I do think that there's enough behavioral evidence here to make it a WP:DUCK situation. The arguments and attacks are the same, as well as the claims that they know Wikimedia staff (who I'm sure would love to know that he's making claims that he has a good ol' boy relationship with them). Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡)  10:18, 12 September 2015 (UTC)
 * I also usually don't like to cite off Wikipedia sources since I have no way of verifying their validity, but I have to note that there are claims on the Internet (albeit in blogs like this one of Berdyck posing as various people to bully others and accuse others of bullying. I wouldn't have looked for this except that it was brought up at ANI and seems to somewhat mirror what's going on here. Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡)  10:24, 12 September 2015 (UTC)

Comments by other users
''Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.''
 * Are the two accounts confirmed socks of Middleamericajames or that simply likely? Sam Walton (talk) 17:32, 12 September 2015 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * The two listed puppets are ✅. I've tagged the master and blocked and tagged the puppets. .--Bbb23 (talk) 12:37, 12 September 2015 (UTC)
 * The sock templates have certain limitations. The master is stale, and there are no non-stale puppets to check against. In those circumstances, it's generally my practice to tag the master as suspected and the puppets as confirmed. If I were to tag the puppets as suspected, then the fact that there's CU evidence that the two have been socking might get lost unless one looked at the SPI itself. Not everyone does it this way. I hope that answers your question.--Bbb23 (talk) 17:39, 12 September 2015 (UTC)
 * All done. Closing. Callanecc (talk • contribs • logs) 01:30, 13 September 2015 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



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Aggressive promotion of Matthew Berdyck. Already blocked, and filing for the record. —  Newslinger  talk   10:08, 26 March 2021 (UTC)
 * Note that claimed to be Matthew Berdyck in Special:Diff/601525581, and  did the same in Special:Diff/1014254471. —  Newslinger   talk   10:13, 26 March 2021 (UTC)
 * Added . —  Newslinger  talk   10:23, 26 March 2021 (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

 * —  Newslinger  talk   10:10, 26 March 2021 (UTC)