Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Tommyboy1215/Archive

25 September 2011

 * Suspected sockpuppets




 * User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

Starbucksian and Tommyboy1215 have a history of edit-warring to insert WP:BLP-violating material into articles about American Democratic politicians and pundits (previously blocked for this). While engaging in this on the David Weprin, the WP:SPA ZannyBrainy was created and Starbucksian and ZannyBrainy subsequently engaged in a tag-team pattern of edit-warring. The most egregious of this (which can threaten the integrity of the project) was on election day involving the subject of the article. David Weprin was the Democratic candidate for congress running in a special election to relace Anthony Wiener. On election day, September 13, Starbucksian and ZannyBrainy engaged in a tag-team edit war to weigh the article down with attack material, poorly sourced blog opinion, and gossip. When multiple editors would remove it and discuss it, one or the other would immediately revert, using the same tendentious language such as "stop edit warring" in their edit summary. In total, the two accounts made 10 reverts to reinsert material and several other partial reverts or additions all before the polls closed. As soon as the polls closed on that day, they left the article and haven't edited it since.

Starbucksian and Tommyboy1215 have also engaged in this pattern of tag-team editing on other articles, where one or the other of them is always there, yet there are large gaps of time where neither is editing and then they suddenly appear within minutes of each other.

It is not unusual for two entirely separate yet like-minded editors to team up and engage in an edit war. However, the pattern of editing and the times that they edit, indicate that this is likely the same person. Consider:
 * While edit-warring continuously through election day, there were gaps in their edit-history of several hours, but then they would both suddenly appear within minutes of each other to engage in revert wars. See Starbucksian and ZannyBrainy four minutes apart when neither had edited for over 3 hours prior.
 * After the election polls closed on that day, both made their last edit within a 13 minutes period and then have been dormant since (although edit-history indicates other periods of dormancy, they will likely be back). (ZannyBrainy and Starbucksian)
 * Starbucksian and Tommyboy1215 have also engaged in this pattern together on other articles, including Bill Ayers. Starbucksian edits the article on 9/4. Then Tommyboy1215 suddenly shows up, after not having edited for 3 days. They both stop editing for 9 hours and then suddenly reappear, 20 minutes apart, to engage in a revert war (starbucksian and Tommyboy1215).  Note that the previous edit was 8 hours prior, so they weren't responding to anything immediate when they both suddenly showed up.
 * There are consistent gaps in the edit history of all 3 which would indicate a single person being away from the computer. All three of them made a final edit on September 5 (Starbucksian and Tommyboy1215 within 6 minutes of each other)., , and . All of them stop editing for four days, then Tommyboy1215 and ZannyBrainy appear within an hour or so of each other ( and ).  Then none of them edit until 4 days later when they all resume editing.

I'm sure that this sort of thing often goes unnoticed, but this alarming not just for the constant WP:BLP violations, but for the attempt to influence (in some small way) a Federal election on election day. --Loonymonkey (talk) 21:11, 25 September 2011 (UTC) Loonymonkey (talk) 21:11, 25 September 2011 (UTC)

Comments by other users
''Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.'' Loonymonkey follows the edits of both Starbucksian and myself carefully. Like him, I also follow Starbucksians edits, hence many times we may end up on similar accounts, even at similar times. I welcome the investigation and look forward to the outcome. Tommyboy1215 (talk) 05:18, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * - If they are the same, this has been going on for quite some time. The evidence is certainly intriguing but I'm not convinced - so I'll endorse to see if there's a connection. —  Hello Annyong  (say whaaat?!) 21:26, 25 September 2011 (UTC)

All three seem to be as the same person. –MuZemike 05:23, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Alright then, I think we can let this go for now. —  Hello Annyong  (say whaaat?!) 01:28, 27 September 2011 (UTC)