Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/PlaidMouse/Archive

13 October 2012

 * Suspected sockpuppets




 * User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

There is a discussion taking place at Template talk:Infobox film. The accounts PlaidMouse, Mooreba1003, and Lu skywalker and IP 76.23.129.24 all expressed very similar opinions in the discussion. The reason this is suspicious is that all are newly-registered accounts that have never edited Wikipedia before (with the exception of PlaidMouse, who made 2 edits on 2 October, which is why I've named that account as the suspected sockmaster). The likelihood that 3 new users and a new IP would all have their very first contributions be to a WikiProject talk page, and all in the same discussion, supporting the same position, is very slim and raises suspicions. I'm not sure how to explain such an unlikely circumstance other than sockpuppetry. --IllaZilla (talk) 16:00, 13 October 2012 (UTC) IllaZilla (talk) 16:00, 13 October 2012 (UTC)

OK, based on the comments below it appears I was mistaken about these accounts being sockpuppets. Case withdrawn. However, Rickinasia, I do caution that there is a flavor of meatpuppetry about it when you say you know all these people and encouraged them to sign up for accounts, then the very first thing they do is pop into a discussion you're involved in to support your side. Encouraging people to start editing is laudable, but be cautious about giving the appearance of doing it to advance an agenda, such as votestacking. PlaidMouse, Mooreba1003, Lu skywalker, and Erickukin: Welcome to Wikipedia. I'm sorry the first communication most of you got was a sockpuppetry notice, and I hope that won't discourage you from continuing to contribute. --IllaZilla (talk) 17:35, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

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


 * Mooreba1003 is a relative of mine in California who watches Asian cinema and uses Wikipedia a fair amount concerning these movies. They have expressed interest in the past to edit Wikipedia and I encouraged they to do so. Lu skywalker is someone I met about a week or two ago who has studied film and now is living in Seoul and involved in the same film club that I am. The day we met I mentioned about my editing on this site and Lu skywalker said he has an interest in doing so in the future. ₪Rick n Asia₪ 02:09, 14 October 2012 (UTC)


 * And I am the Accused IP address above. I guess that I must have accidentally not been logged in when I made the comment. I am not fully aware of all the protocol, and I certainly didn't mean to cause a fuss. Erickukin (talk) 22:47, 15 October 2012 (UTC)


 * Hi, User:PlaidMouse here. I have one account and one account only.  User:IllaZilla, you saw how I edited just one page, chin curtain, so I'm pretty new to editing and am still learning a lot.  The reason I added to the Korean film discussion was my friend User:Rickinasia let me know about it and I added my two cents.  I'm not your sock puppet master (In fact, I had to look up the term.  Thanks for the chance to learn). Sorry for any issues I may have caused.  Hope the false accusations against me and the other two users (User:Mooreba1003 and User:Lu skywalker) get dropped.  Thanks.  —Preceding undated comment added 14:39, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments
Willing to give the new users the benefit of the doubt on this occasion, though it would be a good idea for you not to all flood to the same discussions in support of each other in future. @IllaZilla: at this stage it's probably best to just mark the comments as potentially canvassed, if they haven't already, and leave it at that. – Steel 15:07, 19 October 2012 (UTC)


 * I'd like to have a checkuser give this a quick look over, please. The accounts have very clearly been supporting each other in this discussion, and given that they're new accounts I think a check would be useful just to ensure that everything is aboveboard here. If it is the case that they are all simply users who know each other in real life, then I commend the effort to get more people involved in wikipedia, and hope the new users go on to become established members of the community. I would, however, join IllaZilla in cautioning against votestacking. Given that the IP address has been claimed by Erickukin as being accidentally logged out, there is no need to focus on that further. Many thanks, SpitfireTally-ho! 17:52, 19 October 2012 (UTC)
 * Everything checks out. I'll join my colleagues in cautioning against voting as a block in the future, but it's clear that those editors are technically ❌ to each other.  &mdash; Coren (talk) 18:32, 19 October 2012 (UTC)
 * Looks like we are calling this accidental and exuberant meatpupptry. Editors have been sufficiently helpful, sincere and now understand, so the best course of action is to just close. Dennis Brown -  2&cent;    &copy;   Join WER 01:07, 21 October 2012 (UTC)