Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Prashantkharat/Archive

28 December 2011

 * Suspected sockpuppets




 * - Please see below before pursuing this one. I am fairly certain about the IP's though.


 * User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

Single purpose IP's to Flash mob and stacking reverts for content disputed by said user.

On the matter of Karthikndr, I am weary about mentioning this as they are a very well established editor, however, I have some reason to suspect that Prashantkharat might be a sock puppet himself. Prashantkharat very first edits show signs of an editor who is very familiar with Wikipedia's editing features. This is reflected in his first article of P. R. Patil Group of Educational Institutes. The article uses sections, infoboxes, reference templates, logos, tables, internal links, and most interesting the user applied for rollback status. All signs of a highly knowledgeable editor. When I looked at the flash mob article I discovered that Prashantkharat was edit warring using content introduced by User:Karthikndr. I further discovered that both are highly interested, almost esoterically so, in creating / editing articles about English language institutions in Mumbia, India. Again, this is a delicate matter because of how established Karthikndr is with in the community, but I cannot help but think there might be a connection. Mkdw talk 19:23, 28 December 2011 (UTC)

Comments by other users
''Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.''
 * In response to Magog the Ogre's comment. I did flag on Prashantkharat that I suspected him of sock puppetry in regards to the IP's. If Karthikndr was making a legitimate attempt at a second account, would he not identify his new account? He surely would have been aware of the policies regarding multiple accounts following that action. Also Prashantkharat shows signs of sock puppetry himself (to be proven of course), so if we make the assumption it was an attempt at a legitimate second account, then changing over to use it for sock puppetry is by nature using the second legitimate account for puppetry as well. Mkdw talk 19:57, 28 December 2011 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Comment - the first thing I thought when I saw Prashantkharat is that it is not the editor's first account, in light of the use of Twinkle. I would recommend caution, however, as this might have been a legitimate attempt at a second account (is it worth tarnishing another editor's name for legitimate sockpuppetry? Or was it illegit because the user is now blocked?). Magog the Ogre (talk) 19:49, 28 December 2011 (UTC)
 * based on IP and technical evidence to all be related. All IPs and accounts are subject to rapid provider change, so nothing can be found from CU. Keegan (talk) 06:33, 4 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Neither IP has edited in more than a week, so they're kinda stale. As to the two named accounts: neither is relatively new, and I'm not entirely convinced enough to block. —  Hello Annyong  (say whaaat?!) 03:53, 7 January 2012 (UTC)