Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/WildlyAccurate/Archive

Suspected sockpuppets



 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

WildlyAccurate, Abstrex, and DeepMitigator all exhibit very similar editing patterns:


 * 1. All three accounts were all made within the last two weeks.


 * 2. All three created blank user pages soon after opening the account in order to avoid a red user page link.


 * 3. All three have exclusively made changes to University of Chicago.


 * 4. All three have disruptively reverted various edits made to the University of Chicago lead, all related to the same content.

For evidence of 1-3, see the respective contributions pages for WildlyAccurate, Abstrex, and DeepMitigator. For evidence of 4, see the diffs in the following two cases: Case #1:
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Chicago&diff=959692339&oldid=959692185
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Chicago&diff=959512524&oldid=959395976
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Chicago&diff=960082266&oldid=959693449

Case #2:
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Chicago&diff=956486230&oldid=956384892
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Chicago&diff=prev&oldid=956712690

Additionally, the second account (Abstrex) was created after WildlyAccurate was issued a 72 hour block and was first used while WildlyAccurate's 72 hour block was active, which clearly suggests that it was created for the express purpose of circumventing the block in order to make changes to the same content. Here are the relevant links:


 * WildlyAccurate's 72 hour block: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log/block&page=User%3AWildlyAccurate


 * Abstrex's first edit: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Chicago&diff=prev&oldid=956712690

(This edit was made less than 24 hours after WildlyAccurate was given a 72 hour block, and made changes the same sentence of the lead that WildlyAccurate was blocked for edit warring over)

The last account mentioned above, Numinat, was only made recently and has not yet made any edits. However, the sandbox for Numinat's user talk page was inexplicably created by DeepMitigator shortly after both DeepMitigator and Numinat were created (see https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Numinat/sandbox&action=history), which was only one minute before DeepMitigator went on to repeat the same disruptive edit that WildlyAccurate and Abstrex have already made (see https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Chicago&diff=prev&oldid=960082266). The only possible explanation I have for this is that Numinat was also created by the same person for the purpose of being used as another sock puppet in the near future.

Since it seems highly unlikely that three new users would engage in the same pattern of disruptive editing on the same page independently of one another (let alone one of those three users creating the user talk sandbox page for a fourth new user), I think that a sock puppet investigation and CheckUser attention are warranted here. Drevolt (talk) 07:31, 1 June 2020 (UTC)

Comments by other users
''Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.''
 * Hello Creffett. These accusations are completely false. Drevolt and I engaged in edit-warring a couple of weeks ago and since then, he has been determined to get me banned and removed from Wikipedia. This is evidenced by his attempt to have me banned previously. This is my only account, and Drevolt has every intention of banning me because of a disagreement we have about the wording on a particular page. Clearly, other users on that page have demonstrated similar views as mine (as demonstrated by their edits), and Drevolt is choosing to chalk it all up to multiple accounts. Please let me know if there’s any other information I can provide to be helpful in this matter. —WildlyAccurate —Preceding undated comment added 13:38, 1 June 2020 (UTC)
 * has attempted to blank this SPI. ~ ToBeFree (talk) 16:52, 1 June 2020 (UTC)
 * to be clear, I did not attempt to blank it. I am a relatively new user on Wikipedia, so when I was notified of this SPI, I incorrectly thought it was an unrelated forum posted on my user page; this has happened in the past (people have tried to spam my user page with random nonsense). I instinctively tried to blank it, but in doing so, I realized that I was misguided. So my apologies for that... just needed to clear that up. WildlyAccurate 17:07, 1 June 2020 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments
 
 * - These are quacking loudly enough that I'd be willing to DUCK block on the given evidence, but since we've got at least one very likely sleeper, I'd like to make sure we don't miss anybody. CU - please verify whether these accounts are connected and, if so, check for sleepers. creffett (talk) 13:41, 1 June 2020 (UTC) creffett (talk) 13:41, 1 June 2020 (UTC)
 * Good call on checking for sleepers. ✅ for: User:WildlyAccurate, User:Yobinsky, User:DeepMitigator, User:Numinat, User:Alplorous, User:Abstrex, and User:Jsonton.  Maxim (talk)  21:05, 1 June 2020 (UTC)
 * Maxim has all confirmed accounts, I've taken the liberty of semi-protecting University of Chicago for a week as well. Closing. creffett (talk) 22:09, 1 June 2020 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets

 * (added by ElKevbo (talk) 02:30, 3 August 2020 (UTC))
 * (added by ElKevbo (talk) 02:30, 3 August 2020 (UTC))
 * (added by ElKevbo (talk) 02:30, 3 August 2020 (UTC))
 * (added by ElKevbo (talk) 02:30, 3 August 2020 (UTC))
 * (added by ElKevbo (talk) 02:30, 3 August 2020 (UTC))


 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

New user PurpleDeskChair (account created yesterday) exhibits a very similar editing pattern to editor WildlyAccurate who was previously blocked for sockpuppeting two months ago, see the archived investigation page. All of the relevant information on past user activity can be found on the previous investigation page. Compare the diffs given in that prior investigation to the following diffs:


 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Chicago&diff=prev&oldid=970489362
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Chicago&diff=prev&oldid=970606754
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Chicago&diff=prev&oldid=970492749

You can also compare PurpleDeskChair's contributions with WildlyAccurate's contributions, as well as the contributions of WildlyAccurate's previous sockpuppet accounts such as Abstrex and DeepMitigator. There's very similar behavior from the two users: The user has been editing exclusively on the University of Chicago page and has been edit warring over the same exact content that the previous sockpuppet accounts have edited. It seems implausible that a new user would create an account and then immediately pick up the exact same editing pattern seen from a user blocked for sockpuppeting two months ago with a very similar writing style. PurpleDeskChair's comments written in response to the sockpuppet investigation even seem to be very similar to those left by WildlyAccurate on the previous investigation.

Note that the previous sockpuppet investigation was resolved with the use of the CheckUser tool and resulted in an indefinite IP block, so I expect that any additional sockpuppets from WildlyAccurate will be using methods to evade IP detection. Drevolt (talk) 20:27, 1 August 2020 (UTC)

Update 2 August 2020: It appears that PurpleDeskChair has now created two sockpuppet accounts in an attempt to post fake third-party comments on this sockpuppet investigation: Coconut3747 and Xcelsyor. Please see the following diffs:


 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Sockpuppet_investigations/PurpleDeskChair&diff=prev&oldid=970739266
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Sockpuppet_investigations/PurpleDeskChair&diff=prev&oldid=970741929

Both of these accounts have now been blocked by ST47 as confirmed sockpuppets of WildlyAccurate.

And in the same wave of blocks by ST47, another user who had recently been editing the same content on the University of Chicago article, Agwinsk, was also blocked for the same reason. In fact, PurpleDeskChair's account was made right after I undid an edit by Agwinsk, and PurpleDeskChair's first edit outside of his user space was to continue that edit war. Since it seems almost impossible that this could just be a series of coincidences, the only conclusion I can reach is that PurpleDeskChair is yet another sockpuppet account of WildlyAccurate. Drevolt (talk) 22:54, 2 August 2020 (UTC)

Comments by other users
''Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.''

As mentioned in the other sockpuppet report Drevolt already made of me: Hi! I am the accused user. I want to share openly that I am an independent user. There is no IP abuse here and I believe Wikipedia has the tools to verify this. The user who reported me for alleged sockpuppetry is doing this as retaliation against me for reporting them for edit warring. Otherwise he would have reported me after I made edits he has an issue with-- not after I reported his substantiated edit warring (for which he has already been admonished for on other articles). While this is new to me, I believe the CheckUser will prove I am not a sockpuppet. Please let me know if you have any questions for me. This report has been made in bad faith and can easily be proven to not be related to IP or account abuse.

I believe Drevolt is engaging in Harassment behavior per Wikipedia's interaction guidelines:. PurpleDeskChair (talk) 21:18, 1 August 2020 (UTC)

I am going to defend myself to the fullest extent possible. Also, in response to Drevolt's claims that I am mimicking another user's contributions to the UChicago wikipedia article: while I am not aware of other user's edits, I am aware that I am one of many contributors who are trying to halt your edit warring. That could explain some of the similarities. Nonetheless, I am not copying anyone nor am I acting on the bequest of any user or organization. PurpleDeskChair (talk) 21:32, 1 August 2020 (UTC)

After a brief discussion with TonyBallioni, I've added another suspected sockpuppet: Molinkulus. ElKevbo (talk) 02:32, 3 August 2020 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * Different countries, but theoretically possible there’s been movement over the last few months. Similar UA. I’d say unlikely, but given that the overlap involves higher education it’s not necessarily impossible. TonyBallioni (talk) 20:09, 2 August 2020 (UTC)
 * Yeah, the new socks make PurpleDeskChair look ❌. Closing. TonyBallioni (talk) 02:32, 3 August 2020 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

Same as previous investigation from yesterday, see previous investigation and contribution history of new account. Drevolt (talk) 04:36, 3 August 2020 (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

 * ✅, blocked. ST47 (talk) 04:43, 3 August 2020 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

Yet another sockpuppet with the same behavior on the University of Chicago page. Thankfully this one was already caught and blocked by, but I'm requesting a CU to verify that this account is also associated with WildlyAccurate as all of the previous ones were. Drevolt (talk) 00:26, 4 August 2020 (UTC)

Update: Looks like another one may have just popped up, I'm adding it above. Would like to request a CU on both in light of the recent pattern of sockpuppeting. Drevolt (talk) 01:10, 4 August 2020 (UTC)

Comments by other users
So just because I make an edit on UChicago’s Wikipedia, I’m all of a sudden a sock puppet and that gives you the right to check my personal information? I don’t even know what that is to be honest since this is my first edit but it’s nice to see that the community is so welcoming. I’m a current UChicago student and I rearranged the sentences on your edit because I thought it fit the lead better. I don’t understand why you’re so upset about it that you’ve now reported me and are now trying to get my personal information! —Sixon — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sixon (talk • contribs) 01:57, 4 August 2020 (UTC) ''Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.''

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * ✅ to the recent batch. . Closing. TonyBallioni (talk) 02:05, 4 August 2020 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

NihilisticBoomer has only made a few edits but they're in the exact same article, section, and topic as the previous sockpuppet Sixon. ElKevbo (talk) 00:16, 6 December 2020 (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

 * - all known socks are stale, but endorsing on the off chance that there's anything useful in the CU logs. They're trying to remove the same section of text as some past socks, but we have at least one ❌ sock in the archive who also tried to remove that section as well so I don't think that's definitive proof. GeneralNotability (talk) 20:04, 6 December 2020 (UTC)
 * . Mz7 (talk) 20:16, 6 December 2020 (UTC)
 * I'm not willing to block, then. Reopen if they connect themselves more definitively to WildlyAccurate, and if they're only here to remove that sentence once a week they can be blocked if needed. GeneralNotability (talk) 15:12, 7 December 2020 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets
Not all that sure about this, but these are both new users with very few edits who seem to be engaging in a similar pattern of disruptive editing to that of WildlyAccurate's socks (making the same change to the University of Chicago page; see archive for the full list of WildlyAccurate socks who were blocked in 2020), so I just wanted to get them checked out just in case. It's also conceivable that they might just be socks of one another but not of WildlyAccurate. Drevolt (talk) 05:14, 17 March 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

 * Zizyfuz and Karvlig are ❌ to one another and do not appear to be connected to previous socks in this case based on the available data. ST47 (talk) 06:49, 20 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Closing. Spicy (talk) 19:33, 20 March 2023 (UTC)