Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Sotavino/Archive

Suspected sockpuppets

 * Both accounts start off making similar series of minor edits to one article (such as splitting a paragraph into two paragraphs) to gain autoconfirmed status.
 * Sotavino on Hunter-gatherer (e.g. )
 * Atquaman on Belisarius (e.g. ).
 * Once autoconfirmed is gained, they repeatedly try to add similar content to Same-sex marriage despite being reverted by multiple editors.
 * E.g. #1: Sotavino vs. Atquaman
 * E.g. #2: Sotavino vs. Atquaman (same ungrammatical "Some countries, ...alleges that same-sex marriage movements...")
 * E.g. #3: Sotavino vs. Atquaman (Hiding the text that begins with "The most prominent supporters of same-sex marriage are the world's major medical and scientific communities..." by commenting it out with "".)
 * Their use of the same edit summaries: "Add sources, removed dead link". E.g., ,
 * Every major edit they make to Same-sex marriage is followed by a pointless minor edit, presumably so that other editors will only see a "minor" change being made to the article on their watchlist. E.g. Sotavino vs. Atquaman
 * Sotavino also edited on Vietnamese Wikipedia (global contributions), and in this edit, Atquaman mistakenly uses the Chú thích web template which is the Vietnamese Wikipedia version of the cite web template that Sotavino used on vi.wiki.

Given how well-versed on how Wikipedia works Sotavino seemed right from the start (immediately targeting autoconfirmed status), Sotavino may not be the original sockmaster and there may be other socks. Hence requesting CU. Bennv123 (talk) 15:41, 21 June 2023 (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

 * CU can't link the two accounts, but it does add User:Kem Mimi. The accounts are pretty obviously operated by the same person trying to game the system, and I blocked all three. Drmies (talk) 20:46, 15 July 2023 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Same MO as previous accounts: Requesting CU to check for sleepers. Bennv123 (talk) 11:49, 2 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Making pointless whitespace edits to gain autoconfirmed status (e.g. Abisaku)
 * Upon gaining autoconfirmed status, immediately edits LGBT-related articles
 * Restoring previous sock's changes to Same-sex marriage in this edit, including...
 * using the Vietnamese Wikipedia template Chú thích sách/Chú thích web (previous sock: )
 * commenting out the text that begins with "The most prominent supporters of same-sex marriage are the world's major medical and scientific communities..." (previous sock: )
 * removing "Scientific studies show that..." (previous sock: )
 * Same edit summaries ("Add sources, removed dead link") as previous sock (Abisaku vs Atquaman)

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Going from the CU logs, this looks pretty likely, and the behavioural evidence is fairly strong. Blocking, and re-blocking the master (who was only temporarily blocked last time).  Girth Summit  (blether)  15:00, 2 October 2023 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Same M.O as previous socks:
 * Account created on 4 October after previous sock was banned on 2 October. Account was also first created on the Vietnamese Wikipedia, just like the previous socks.
 * Makes a series of minor edits in quick succession to gain autoconfirmed status e.g. ,
 * Once autoconfirmed is gained, edits Same-sex marriage with the same changes previous socks repeatedly tried to make. E.g. SG413K vs previous sock.
 * When their changes are reverted by others, they just repeatedly add it back Bennv123 (talk) 06:31, 20 November 2023 (UTC)

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * . Thanks for the clear report. Spicy (talk) 00:21, 25 November 2023 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Same M.O as previous socks:
 * Makes a series of minor edits in quick succession to gain autoconfirmed status e.g., ,
 * Saves their ideal version of the Same-sex marriage article on their sandbox: User:Ratterbat/sandbox vs previous sock's sandbox.
 * Once autoconfirmed is gained, edits Same-sex marriage to their ideal version. E.g. Ratterbat vs. previous sock #1 vs previous sock #2. Bennv123 (talk) 15:40, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Obvious, but since they're gaming autoconfirmed I ran a check to look for sleepers. Nothing jumped out at me, but I can say that they're to  from the previous filing. Blocking, tagging and closing. Thank, Spicy (talk) 01:36, 7 January 2024 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Same editing pattern as previous socks: compare the editing history of Espanion to previous socks like Sotavino, Rabberbat and Atquaman
 * Makes a series of "minor" edits on a random article to gain autoconfirmed status
 * Once autoconfirmed is gained, edits their real target article: Same-sex marriage
 * Has an issue with the lead saying: "Scientific studies show that the financial, psychological, and physical well-being of gay people are enhanced by marriage ..."
 * Previously tried to change this in the lead, but now just outright moving it out of the lead (Espanion)
 * Active on Vietnamese Wikipedia (Espanion's global contributions), just as previous socks were (Sotavino, Abisaku)

Requesting checkuser to check for sleepers since the Espanion account was created on 28 December 2023, before the previous sock User:Ratterbat was blocked. Bennv123 (talk) 04:45, 3 February 2024 (UTC)

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * The following: are all  to Sotavino through a few different threads., . Now WP:3X. Closing. DatGuyTalkContribs 18:59, 12 February 2024 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets

 * Account created on 15 February after previous socks were blocked on 12 February. Account created on Vietnamese Wikipedia too, just as previous socks. (APU888's global accounts vs. Socolass, Espanion)
 * Same editing pattern: Games the system to get autoconfirmed status by making a series of nonsensical edits on one page in rapid succession. Compare the editing history of APU888 to previous socks like Socolass and Espanion.
 * Making similar changes to Vietnam War article as previous sock: APU888 vs Socolass.

Requesting checkuser since this user has a history of using sleepers and operating multiple accounts at the same time. Bennv123 (talk) 15:56, 24 February 2024 (UTC)

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * to past accounts. looks like a sleeper. Spicy (talk) 16:28, 25 February 2024 (UTC)
 * , closing. Thanks, Spicy (talk) 16:28, 25 February 2024 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Requesting checkuser since there's been sleepers in the past. Bennv123 (talk) 00:54, 5 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Account created on 26 February, 1 day after previous socks were blocked.
 * Similar editing pattern with previous socks. Compare Mizuno Arashi's contributions vs. SG413K and Socolass.
 * Like the previous socks, gamed the system to get autoconfirmed status by making 10 "minor" edits on 26 February and then going dormant for a few days.
 * Similar kinds of "minor" edits to get autoconfirmed. E.g. breaking up paragraphs (Mizuno Arashi vs Socolass) and adding wikilinks (Mizuno Arashi vs. Ranger tang and SG413K)
 * Once autoconfirmed is gained, edits Battle of Stalingrad with similar changes as previous socks: Mizuno Arashi vs. Socolass and SG413K (specifically intent on changing the numbers in the infobox)
 * After autoconfirmed is gained, creates userpage with random text/statement: Mizuno Arashi vs. SG413K, Sotavino and Socolass

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * CU doesn't confirm with earlier accounts, but geolocation puts em in the neighborhood, and the edits really speak for themselves. Drmies (talk) 03:11, 5 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Since you blocked and tagged as suspected, I'm closing this case. Courcelles (talk) 16:09, 5 March 2024 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Same editing pattern as previous socks:
 * Games the system to gain autoconfirmed status by making a series of minor edits. Compare editing history of Covaxes vs. socks like Mizuno_Arashi and SG413K.
 * Once autoconfirmed is gained, edits their actual target article Vietnam War, making similar edits as previous socks: Covaxes vs. APU888 and Socolass.

Requesting checkuser as they have a history of using sleeper accounts. Bennv123 (talk) 09:00, 29 March 2024 (UTC)

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Technically I guess but behaviour seems obvious enough., . . Spicy (talk) 15:28, 29 March 2024 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Same editing pattern as previous socks:
 * Account created on Vietnamese Wikipedia too, just as previous socks. Octanvui's global accounts vs. APU888 and Abisaku
 * Games the system to gain autoconfirmed status by making a bunch of "minor" edits and edits to their sandbox/userpage in rapid succession: Octanvui's editing history vs. APU888 and Abisaku. Sleeper account then goes dormant for awhile.
 * Once autoconfirmed is gained, edits their target article Homosexuality to add the same "new studies" (namely cited to https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aat7693): Octanvui vs. Abisaku 1 and Abisaku 2.
 * Original text Octanvui worked on in their user sandbox here was clearly just copy-pasted from what previous sock Abisaku tried to add.
 * After making these big changes to Homosexuality, immediately follow up with a minor edit to hide their big changes: Octanvui vs. Abisaku.

Requesting checkuser to check for other sleepers since this sleeper was created back in early February. Bennv123 (talk) 10:24, 11 April 2024 (UTC)

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * CU data is in territory; behaviour is obvious enough. I'm also blocking, which looks like a sleeper, and requesting locks.  Girth Summit  (blether)  12:12, 11 April 2024 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Mekai Quest has the same editing pattern as previous socks:
 * Games the system to gain autoconfirmed status by making a bunch of "minor" edits and edits to their userpage in rapid succession: Mekai Quest's editing history vs. APU888, Socolass and Covaxes.
 * After autoconfirmed is gained, edits their real target article like Vietnam War, specifically focusing on the casualty numbers in the infobox like the previous socks: Mekai Quest vs. APU888, Socolass and Covaxes.

This sock was brought to my attention by an IP on my talk page, who pointed out that the IPs 27.3.144.156 and 2001:EE0:4A61:8A10:2563:80AF:6AEA:D27E had been asking other editors to make those same changes to the casualty numbers in the Vietnam War infobox, shortly before Mekai Quest had gained autoconfirmed to make those changes themself.

Asking for checkuser as this sock has used sleeper accounts in the past. Bennv123 (talk) 09:35, 5 June 2024 (UTC)

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * No sleepers found. CU data makes it possible, behavior makes it likely. Blocked and tagged. Drmies (talk) 14:08, 5 June 2024 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets

 * Sotavino's previous IPs that were edit warring on Recognition of same-sex unions in Vietnam were blocked on 5 June, and I reverted to the pre-sock version of the page on 6 June.
 * Very soon after, the new IP 203.160.86.166 shows up to remove the same lead paragraph Sotavino's previous IPs were edit warring over:
 * New IP vs. Previous IPs #1, Previous IPs #2.
 * New IP uses the same tactic long favoured by Sotavino and their socks: immediately after they make a major controversial edit they'll follow it up with a "minor" edit, presumably to try to hide their controversial edits from watchlists.
 * New IP: minor edit following controversial changes
 * Previous IP: minor edit following controversial changes
 * Sotavino themself: minor edit following controversial changes Bennv123 (talk) 00:50, 7 June 2024 (UTC)

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Blocking and closing. Izno (talk) 02:22, 7 June 2024 (UTC)