Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Morganoflahrity/Archive

Suspected sockpuppets



 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

All users are trying to push edits to Todd Novak, including uploading new, copyrighted, images which keep getting deleted at Commons. The latter of the suspected socks also made a WP:FFU, again with the copyrighted image There may be 2 different socks going on here... CU requested to see if JMG and the Morgan accounts are linked - Rich T&#124;C&#124;E-Mail 10:58, 13 July 2021 (UTC)

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

Hello Rich,

Thanks for bringing this issue forward. I am relatively new to the platform and the nuance of uploading photos may have complicated matters. Some of the above mentioned users appear to have been attempting to add an official portrait of the State Representative and provided a link to the image. I requested via WP:FFU that the image be included on the page as work of a government agency. I was unclear as to whether state governments were not extended the same allowance as the federal government on these matters. I am appreciative to Rich for pointing this out. If the facts can be reviewed, I believe it will reflect that editing via WP:FFU was undertaken in good faith and not with the intent of breaching community standards.

I apologize if this submission was not included in the correct section. -User:AmKH9hJ8lexanderJ8upP3


 * Commons CU here:, , , ,  and  are confirmed on Commons, data are here.  (, although stale, is a duck per username.)  No reasonable person would consider this degree of socking to recreate blatant copyright violations to be "undertaken in good faith and not with the intent of breaching community standards," especially in the presence of the numerous untruths (which require only familiarly with honesty, not the platform) and related warnings.  Эlcobbola  talk 15:39, 13 July 2021 (UTC)

Thanks for your response. The statement, "I believe it will reflect that editing via WP:FFU was undertaken in good faith and not with the intent of breaching community standards." was solely related to the action taken via WP:FFU. Your comment above conflates the actions of another user. -User:AmKH9hJ8lexanderJ8upP3

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * . While there is little temporal overlap, the large number of socks, fixation on inserting the same content on the same page, plus the likely COI and copyvios make this evasion of scrutiny. Endorsing for a local sleeper check on these accounts plus, who was confirmed on Commons. Page protection is probably warranted as well. Blablubbs (talk) 18:04, 13 July 2021 (UTC)
 * Also found and ✅:
 * to the group above:
 * Too - no available data:
 * The IP range for the ✅ group comes back to an educational institution.  ~Oshwah~  (talk) (contribs)   02:36, 14 July 2021 (UTC)
 * awaitingadmin - Rich T&#124;C&#124;E-Mail 15:03, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * I've deactivated the template. It's meant for use by non-admin clerks, followed by specific requests for administrative action and can be confusing if used by others. --Blablubbs (talk) 16:07, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * to the group above:
 * Too - no available data:
 * The IP range for the ✅ group comes back to an educational institution.  ~Oshwah~  (talk) (contribs)   02:36, 14 July 2021 (UTC)
 * awaitingadmin - Rich T&#124;C&#124;E-Mail 15:03, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * I've deactivated the template. It's meant for use by non-admin clerks, followed by specific requests for administrative action and can be confusing if used by others. --Blablubbs (talk) 16:07, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * to the group above:
 * Too - no available data:
 * The IP range for the ✅ group comes back to an educational institution.  ~Oshwah~  (talk) (contribs)   02:36, 14 July 2021 (UTC)
 * awaitingadmin - Rich T&#124;C&#124;E-Mail 15:03, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * I've deactivated the template. It's meant for use by non-admin clerks, followed by specific requests for administrative action and can be confusing if used by others. --Blablubbs (talk) 16:07, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * The IP range for the ✅ group comes back to an educational institution.  ~Oshwah~  (talk) (contribs)   02:36, 14 July 2021 (UTC)
 * awaitingadmin - Rich T&#124;C&#124;E-Mail 15:03, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * I've deactivated the template. It's meant for use by non-admin clerks, followed by specific requests for administrative action and can be confusing if used by others. --Blablubbs (talk) 16:07, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * awaitingadmin - Rich T&#124;C&#124;E-Mail 15:03, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * I've deactivated the template. It's meant for use by non-admin clerks, followed by specific requests for administrative action and can be confusing if used by others. --Blablubbs (talk) 16:07, 16 July 2021 (UTC)


 * - please block everyone except for, who does not show any behavioural similarities to this group. I suspect this may simply be a different individual on the same institutional network. The Morgan group, while partially stale, is indeed very ducky. Blablubbs (talk) 19:28, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * Blablubbs - ✅. Closing SPI...  ~Oshwah~  (talk) (contribs)   19:42, 16 July 2021 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

I'm perplexed by ' previous comment of "little temporal overlap," so please consider the following timeline (which includes the diffs for the new account in this request, Morgano271): Given a) this history, b) the name similarity ( Morgan asm51, Morgan oflahrity1, Morgan .oflahrity51, Morgan o271, etc.), c) the DONOTREMOVECONTENT123 name's clear reference to being aware of the deletions, and d) technical data of identical machines in the same /24 range, I am also perplexed that unambiguous duck sock/meatpuppets have not been blocked. This is a x-wiki abuse issue (repeated inserting of copyvios on en.wiki and commons) and thus action here (en.wiki) is a necessary prerequisite to a global request. Эlcobbola talk 14:59, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * 21:41, 28.12.2020 - uploads a copyvio of Todd Novak;
 * 00:14, 06.01.2021 - The file is deleted;
 * 18:19, 01.02.2021 - recreates the same image;
 * 18:52, 01.02.2021 - adds it to the Todd Novak article;
 * 10:43, 26.06.2021 - The file is deleted;
 * 21:34, 12.07.2021 - recreates the same image;
 * 21:35, 12.07.2021 - adds it to the Todd Novak article;
 * 21:36, 12.07.2021 - The file is deleted;
 * 21:39, 12.07.2021 - blocked;
 * 01:56, 13.07.2021 - account created;
 * 02:00, 13.07.2021 - recreates the same image;
 * 02:06, 13.07.2021 - The file is deleted;
 * 02:06, 13.07.2021 - account blocked;
 * 14:53, 13.07.2021 - account created
 * 14:56, 13.07.2021 - uploads another copyvio of Todd Novak;
 * 14:59, 13.07.2021 - adds it to the Todd Novak article;
 * 15:09, 13.07.2021 - account blocked;
 * 22:21, 13.07.2021 - The addition is reverted
 * 16:36, 15.07.2021 - account created;
 * 16:43, 15.07.2021 - uploads another copyvio of Todd Novak;
 * 16:44, 15.07.2021 - adds it to the Todd Novak article;

Comments by other users
''Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.''
 * They are all editing about the same politician. Note overlap of user names. I just blocked . Some are him. Some others in Rep Novak's office, I surmise. I told Legis.wi.gov51 to go back to the original account. -- Deep fried okra ( talk ) 17:31, 16 July 2021 (UTC)

Please see my comment above. -- Deep fried okra ( talk ) 17:35, 16 July 2021 (UTC)

VRT folks, see also ticket:2021071210014599. Эlcobbola talk 17:51, 16 July 2021 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * @Elcobbola, the timeline you present is mainly on Commons. Most of the accounts in the initial filing edited more or less sequentially, or had little page overlap. My comment is a pre-emptive justification of why this constitutes abusive sockpuppetry on enwiki regardless – I did endorse a check after all. Blablubbs (talk) 16:03, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * The Commons was used as a staging area for misbehaviour on en.wiki, which is why we are here. Investigation of x-wiki status is a necessary consideration for SUL accounts, as indeed the instant case demonstrates: it explains the timing of emergence of accounts and misbehaviour on en.wiki.  Эlcobbola  talk 16:21, 16 July 2021 (UTC)


 * I have to admit, this conversation is a little hard to follow for me. Just to be clear: I don't doubt, and have never doubted, that there is illegit behaviour here. My comment above was made because I believe the behaviour is illegitimate, but a CheckUser may not immediately see how it's illegitimate from looking at an interaction timeline alone. The accounts aren't blocked yet because the checking CU did not block, and I cannot block because I am not an admin. I'm happy to go through the list of technically indistinguishable accounts, I simply haven't had the time yet. --Blablubbs (talk) 19:15, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * –, whether sock or meat doesn't really matter. Please block the sock indefinitely. Blablubbs (talk) 19:30, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * Blablubbs - ✅. Closing SPI...  ~Oshwah~  (talk) (contribs)   19:40, 16 July 2021 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

Might as well as this one to an SPI as well - Rich T&#124;C&#124;E-Mail 15:36, 16 July 2021 (UTC)

Comments by other users
''Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.''
 * See above section. This page is a mess.  -- Deep fried okra  ( talk ) 17:33, 16 July 2021 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * – obvious sock is obvious. Please block it indefinitely. Blablubbs (talk) 19:31, 16 July 2021 (UTC)
 * Blablubbs - ✅. Closing SPI...  ~Oshwah~  (talk) (contribs)   19:39, 16 July 2021 (UTC)