Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Sharkey45/Archive

31 August 2014

 * Suspected sockpuppets




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I intend to show that Electromechanic has been a sockpuppeter for nearly six years. The main indicator that these various accounts are the same person is that they all have supported each other at AfDs challenging articles created by one of them. They also use the same style of arguing, relying on unsupported assertion of notability rather than policy-based arguments, and they sign their names within parentheses, a very unusual practice. These accounts are all interested in the same social activism issues, such as racism in Australia, water fluoridation, chemicals in food, and conspiracy theories. Binksternet (talk) 17:31, 31 August 2014 (UTC)

The first case is stale: the biography of Lex Wotton. On 7 November 2008, the Electromechanic account was created, creating the biography on the same day, with other early edits [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mulrunji&diff=prev&oldid=250220002 showing support for the biography]. The bio was nominated for deletion on 11 November 2008. The Starman005 account was created on the same day, made a few edits, then as soon as the AfD was filed it [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Palm_Island_Mens_Group&oldid=251064403 created a related article] and showed up to [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3AArticles_for_deletion%2FLex_Wotton&diff=251069226&oldid=251062563 comment in support of the Wotton bio]. The account Ralmar was created on 14 November 2008 and its first action was to vote 'keep' at the AfD.[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3AArticles_for_deletion%2FLex_Wotton&diff=251705632&oldid=251304719] The three 'keep' votes were Starman005, Ralmar, and Electromechanic, supporting each other. You can see that each of these accounts signed their name within parentheses, the only accounts to do so on that page: Articles for deletion/Lex Wotton. Electromechanic and Starman005 also signed that way on the AfD talk page. Electromechanic later reinforced his connection to Starman005 by [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protected_%28film%29&diff=292201969&oldid=279663676 helping to expand] an article created by Starman005.

The second case is stale, too: Articles for deletion/Dr Zhongjun Cao, regarding a biography created by Jimmy Heat on 11 November, the same day the account was registered. The AfD was also filed on 11 November 2008, then on 13 November the account Racism Watch Australia was created, and within two hours the account [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Dr_Zhongjun_Cao&diff=prev&oldid=325599992 voted 'keep' on the AfD]. On 16 November the account Marinesuper was registered, and within its first hour [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Dr_Zhongjun_Cao&diff=prev&oldid=326135495 it voted to 'keep but rename' the bio]. Starman005 also voted to keep it.[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3AArticles_for_deletion%2FDr_Zhongjun_Cao&diff=325970404&oldid=325966379] The only editors who signed their names within parentheses were Marinesuper, Racism Watch Australia, and Starman005. Jimmy Heat and Electromechanic were both interested in the article Rachel Perkins,[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rachel_Perkins&diff=291780622&oldid=274116278][//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rachel_Perkins&diff=325225837&oldid=324747974] and Jimmy Heat voted the same as Marinesuper at Talk:Racism_in_Australia, with both of them signing their names within parentheses. Marinesuper and Racism Watch Australia voted the same way at Talk:Violence_against_Indians_in_Australia_controversy/Archive_2, and they both signed their names within parentheses. At the article Trial of Lex Wotton, three socks were active: Ralmar,[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trial_of_Lex_Wotton&diff=376426220&oldid=374323256] Jimmy Heat[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trial_of_Lex_Wotton&diff=344377573&oldid=337020623] and Electromechanic.[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trial_of_Lex_Wotton&diff=292202749&oldid=264141559]

Here are the recent cases: Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Global Eugenics: Using Medicine to Kill was filed on 18 June 2014. The new account Boss Reality had created the article. Joecreation, an account from early 2010, jumped in to vote keep.[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3AArticles_for_deletion%2FGlobal_Eugenics%3A_Using_Medicine_to_Kill&diff=613538173&oldid=613472791] Boss Reality of course voted to keep. Starman005 also voted to keep. Brother Samson, an account registered two months earlier, jumped in to vote keep.[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3AArticles_for_deletion%2FGlobal_Eugenics%3A_Using_Medicine_to_Kill&diff=613898475&oldid=613834124] All of these socks signed their names within parentheses.

Articles for deletion/Rima Laibow was filed on 25 June 2014. The article had been created by Boss Reality. The sock votes for 'keep' were from Boss Reality, Brother Samson,[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3AArticles_for_deletion%2FRima_Laibow&diff=614559654&oldid=614545349] newly registered account Canned Heat Returns,[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3AArticles_for_deletion%2FRima_Laibow&diff=614721669&oldid=614707597] Starman005,[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3AArticles_for_deletion%2FRima_Laibow&diff=614729004&oldid=614721669] Joecreation,[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3AArticles_for_deletion%2FRima_Laibow&diff=614991914&oldid=614864067] and newly registered account Oxide313.[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3AArticles_for_deletion%2FRima_Laibow&diff=615278682&oldid=615273057] All of these accounts signed their names within parentheses except for Oxide313 which failed to sign. This case is sufficient to connect all the recently active socks. Articles for deletion/Scott Tips was filed on 21 July 2014. Three socks voted to keep: Joecreation, Starman005 and Boss Reality. All of these signed their names within parentheses. Articles for deletion/Dave vonKleist was filed on 7 August 2014. Two socks voted to keep: Starman005 and Boss Reality. Both of these signed their names within parentheses. The biography Barry Smith (preacher) has been the target of two socks. Jimmy Heat in 2010,[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barry_Smith_(preacher)&diff=prev&oldid=338327460] then Brother Samson in 2014.[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barry_Smith_(preacher)&diff=prev&oldid=338327460] There's another account from May 2009,, which showed some unusual intersection with Electromechanic on an article he created, and [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Stephen_Hagan&diff=prev&oldid=292408007 signed the name inside parentheses], but the evidence is not strong enough to prove this one a sock. I am asking for checkuser because the suspected accounts cannot be connected solely by behavioral evidence. As well, the sockmaster appears capable of starting sleeper accounts at least two months in advance of them being needed at AfD. Of course I understand that the stale accounts such as Electromechanic and Ralmar cannot be checked.

Comments by other users
''Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.''
 * Support use of CheckUser here. I was the one who initially notified Binksternet of the highly similar patterns of five of these accounts. I had no idea there were so many more than that. But the patterns are clear. They also include, in case Bink has not mentioned them: capitalization in edit summaries; creation of articles of dubious notability; typos when posting on Talk pages and AfDs; and, for several of them, run-ins (often hostile or disguised hostile) with . Softlavender (talk) 23:56, 31 August 2014 (UTC)


 * Comment: In terms of, whom the nominator has mentioned but felt that "the evidence is not strong enough to prove this one a sock": I think the WP:DUCK evidence is sufficient: (1) signs name with parens; (2) capitalization in edit summaries; (3) interest in Islam and racism; (4) intersection with sockmaster; (5) typos on Talk pages but not in articles; (6) possible similarity in SNs/occupations; (7) this edit summary: "Undid racist & foul edit by (talk) - I suspect that this is an established wiki user using another comp who has a racist hang up". The latter seems to indicate to me, since had only made two prior edits, a case of WP:KETTLE, and may be cause/indication to suspect that all of Electro's suspected socks may not come from the same computer. Softlavender (talk) 00:27, 1 September 2014 (UTC)


 * Coming in late but I support a CU here. Dougweller (talk) 20:40, 2 September 2014 (UTC)


 * Question to : Who is, and why was he checked? Also, is it too late to check ? Like Oxide and BossReality, he conveniently "forgot" to sign his posting at the AfD many of the socks participated in. I believe his userpage bio may be an elaborate ruse, and that he may be found to be editing from the same city and ISP as the other socks. Bink didn't mention him, but he seems as suspect as the others, I think. Softlavender (talk)


 * And the hits just keep on coming. More socks:, , , . Same behavior, same AfDs. How does one go about reporting them? ? ? I'll leave it up to you two, if you don't mind. ETA: These all came from a perusal of 's AfD history, which no one had checked until Ponyo found him as a sock. They all use the parentheses when signing, and they have all participated jointly in the same AfDs at some point. Softlavender (talk) 21:54, 4 September 2014 (UTC)


 * Nothing of substance to add. Just noting for the record that I observed the aforementioned signature anomaly earlier in August (see User_talk:Dougweller/Archive_34), but the appearance of an interaction between BossReality and Starman005 had me questioning my suspicions. - Location (talk) 19:36, 7 September 2014 (UTC)


 * Support as per Dougweller and Binksternet.--Tomwsulcer (talk) 14:31, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Of the accounts that are recent enough to be checked, and  are ✅ to each other., ,  and  are technically  part of the same sock farm. Based on very strong behavioural similarities, I believe all of the accounts listed are , with the weakest link being  (though I can confirm that they edited from the same city and ISP as one of the confirmed socks).--Jezebel's Ponyo bons mots  21:14, 4 September 2014 (UTC)
 * George-Archer wasn't checked directly, their account popped up as a confirmed sock while checking Starman005. appears technically ❌.--Jezebel's Ponyo bons mots  21:55, 4 September 2014 (UTC)
 * The new accounts noted by Softlavender (Mr Real Natural, Sharkey45, Milestokilo, Solution55) are definitely a behavioural match (I've found a couple of distinct tells which I shan't disclose in this report). The oldest account is therefore . I think we can safely move this report there and tag all of the accounts as socks.--Jezebel's Ponyo bons mots 22:32, 4 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Thank you to Ponyo for your excellent work. I agree that this investigation should be moved to Sockpuppet_investigations/Sharkey45, as Sharkey45 appears to be the oldest account. Binksternet (talk) 02:31, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

— Berean Hunter   (talk)  03:59, 9 September 2014 (UTC) — Berean Hunter   (talk)  18:39, 9 September 2014 (UTC)
 * I've blocked all of the accounts. If a clerk could move this to Sockpuppet_investigations/Sharkey45 and throw some tags on the accounts that would be fab, then we can close this.--Jezebel's Ponyo bons mots 21:40, 6 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Case moved to Sharkey45 as master and adding tags and closing.
 * Hi, I believe you may have missed tagging a few of the socks, as they were not in the list at the top. If you carefully read the entire page and 's conclusions, you'll note them. These are: , , , and . Thank you. Softlavender (talk) 10:39, 9 September 2014 (UTC)
 * That happened because they weren't listed as socks using the template so the script that I used didn't pick up on them. I should have added them to the list first. Thank you for pointing this out and thank you  for tagging.
 * All accounts are now tagged.--Jezebel's Ponyo bons mots 15:39, 9 September 2014 (UTC)