Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Ravindu Navin/Archive

Suspected sockpuppets



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Recreated Maya (2016 film) as Maya (Sinhala film).  Vanjagenije  (talk)  09:04, 25 August 2016 (UTC)

Comments by other users
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 * This is the third time that this user has recreated exactly the same article, each time under a different user name. Each time the perpetrator is from Sri Lanka with a poor grasp of English. Dan arndt (talk) 13:26, 25 August 2016 (UTC)
 * At the same time I'd suggest that User:Kavindu555 may also be another sock-puppet of the same original user. Dan arndt (talk) 13:38, 25 August 2016 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * - Endorsing my own request.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  09:06, 25 August 2016 (UTC)
 * ✅. Tagged and blocked. PhilKnight (talk) 00:08, 26 August 2016 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



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Recreation of the article Maya (3D) by the sock.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  16:47, 29 September 2016 (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

 * - Endorsing my own request.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  16:47, 29 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Unfortunately, the CU results are, but they're in roughly the same geographic area as the master and socks. ​—DoRD (talk)​ 21:02, 6 October 2016 (UTC)
 * Case closed with no action.  Vanjagenije  (talk)  15:33, 14 October 2016 (UTC)
 * Comment: I think that there's enough behavioral evidence here to show that they might be at the very least, a meatpuppet.
 * Both users have edited Ranjan Ramanayake, an article that was created by Ravindu Navin. Thamer Greasy has made extensive edits to the article. This article is also tied to Maya 3D, which was created by Navin.
 * They have both edited Vikram filmography, Thamer with this edit (as an example) and Navin with this, as an example.
 * Thamer edited Pravegaya, an article that was edited by Navin and at least one of his confirmed socks RaviNavi.
 * Thamer edited Adaraneeya Kathawak, an article that was edited by RaviNavi
 * Motor Bicycle is copyvio from this website, something that Navin had issues with.
 * Thamer edited Uddika Premarathna, which was edited by Navin.
 * There are likely more articles that they've edited that they have in common, but these are far too many shared similarities in articles for comfort. Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡)  12:55, 15 October 2016 (UTC)


 * Other similarities:
 * Edited Sanath Gunathilake, along with Navin.
 * Edited Pubudu Chathuranga, which was edited by Navin. In this case Thamer actually edited the article first.
 * That's the only other two that I can see offhand. If it was just that they were editing the same articles and in the same topic areas I'd have risen an eyebrow in suspicion but that'd be about it. However for Thamer to edit so many of the same articles and to try to recreate Maya in two different titles seems more than a coincidence. It's possible that they're editing from a different computer or they've enlisted someone else to help. It's up to and  if they want to reopen this, though.  Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡)  13:07, 15 October 2016 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



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I'm requesting that this user be re-examined based on behavioral evidence. I'd posted some information after the prior case was closed in the hopes of reopening it before it was archived, but it was archived before that could happen. The long and short of this is that Thamer Greasy's edit history shows that they have edited many of the same articles as Navin and at least one of their sockpuppets. Below is the articles that the group shares in common:


 * Both users have edited Ranjan Ramanayake, an article that was created by Ravindu Navin. Thamer Greasy has made extensive edits to the article. This article is also tied to Maya 3D, which was created by Navin.
 * They have both edited Vikram filmography, Thamer with this edit (as an example) and Navin with this, as an example.
 * Thamer edited Pravegaya, an article that was edited by Navin and at least one of his confirmed socks RaviNavi.
 * Thamer edited Adaraneeya Kathawak, an article that was edited by RaviNavi
 * Motor Bicycle is copyvio from this website, something that Navin had issues with.
 * Thamer edited Uddika Premarathna, which was edited by Navin.
 * Edited Sanath Gunathilake, along with Navin.
 * Edited Pubudu Chathuranga, which was edited by Navin. In this case Thamer actually edited the article first.

This by itself would be something that I'd view with suspicion but not suspect outright sockpuppetry, however something to note is that Thamer Greasy has tried to create the article for the film Maya three times. The first two were done under the title Maya (3D), which was reported in the last SPI. On October 14 the user has tried to recreate the article at Maya 3D (2016), as the former name was salted to prevent recreation. This is more than a little suspicious, as the prior two deletions would make it fairly clear that any attempt to recreate the article would lead to further deletion. This user trying to create the article elsewhere would also be in keeping with prior attempts by Navin socks.

I'm aware that this user's grammar is better than Navin's (although still wildly awkward) and my thought is that this is likely a case of meatpuppetry, where they were asked to come and create the page to get around the prior blocks and article salting. The shared similarities with edits and the repeated attempts to recreate the article give off the impression that this account is certainly related to the other accounts.

If it's possible to check to see if this particular account has any sleepers, it might not be a bad idea to check but I'm seem to remember that you need something to check against, so this likely can't be done. Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡)  08:29, 16 October 2016 (UTC)
 * I will say that they also share a similarity in creating bare bones film type articles as well, like this and this. I also started looking more in depth at the articles that Thamey created and found this, which is copyvio from here, something I'm mentioning because Navin had this issue a lot. Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡)  08:36, 16 October 2016 (UTC)

Comments by other users
''Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.''
 * This editor also has a very similar history on Wikicommons of uploading copyright images of Sri Lanka actors and inserting them on Wikipedia pages. In fact some of the images are exactly the same as those uploaded by Ravindran Navin. Dan arndt (talk) 08:50, 16 October 2016 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * I've blocked the editor on behavioral evidence provided by . I believe this convergence of evidence creates a highly suspicious set of circumstances when viewed in their entirety. I think the risk to the project to not act in this situation is surpassed by the risk in doing something and either capturing an editor in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even in their isolated situation, there are other COI and copyvio concerns. Marking as closed. Mkdw talk 02:06, 27 October 2016 (UTC)