Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Yellowbeard/Archive

Report date July 13 2009, 01:45 (UTC)

 * Suspected sockpuppets


 * Evidence submitted by Abd

Yellowbeard registered in 2006 and immediately began AfDing articles related to Range Voting, or other voting systems that might be competitors to Instant runoff voting. Initially successful, through AfDs with low participation, one of his original targets was Center for Range Voting which probably was not sufficiently notable for an article in 2006. Eventually, his activities were noticed and he became ineffective. At this point he used the account only sporadically, for harassment, he was blocked and finally indef blocked.

Today Cordycepts2009 registered and immediately filed an AfD for Center for Range Voting, citing the 2006 discussion. This is clearly an editor familiar with AfD process. The coincidence makes it highly likely that this is Yellowbeard; if not, it would be another returning editor with similar disruptive intention. --Abd (talk) 01:47, 13 July 2009 (UTC)


 * Comments by accused parties    See Defending yourself against claims.


 * Comments by other users

Considering that Yellowbeard's last edit was in 2008, I don't think we can infer much from that nomination alone. This may be a driver by (or not), but let's err on the side of not biting him :). -- Luk  talk 06:29, 13 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Clerk, patrolling admin and checkuser comments


 * Conclusions


 * Closed per Luk. Nathan  T 14:39, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

Evidence submitted by Fences and windows
Yellowbeard previously nominated Asset voting for deletion in May 2008, see Articles for deletion/Asset voting. Their edits were solely to do with electoral systems. They were subsequently blocked for incivility in September 2008.

Αβγδεζηθικλ is a single-purpose account who has recently nominated the recreated page for deletion, see Articles for deletion/Asset voting (3rd nomination). This coincidence in interests for a brand new user is exceedingly unlikely. Fences &amp;  Windows  00:36, 25 December 2009 (UTC)

p.s. Yellowbeard was found to have socked recently, see User:Cordyceps2009. That account was blocked as a sock in November, and was the nominator of Articles for deletion/Asset voting (2nd nomination). Pattern much? Fences &amp;  Windows  00:42, 25 December 2009 (UTC)

Comments by accused parties
See Defending yourself against claims.

CheckUser requests
Requested by Fences  &amp;  Windows  00:35, 25 December 2009 (UTC)

Clerk, patrolling admin and checkuser comments
/ - Same IP ranges, same user agents, but the user agent is quite common, and the different ranges used have many unquestionably legitimate users who appear on all of the ranges. J.delanoy gabs adds 18:10, 26 December 2009 (UTC)

Conclusions
While the technical evidence is not exactly conclusive, the behavioral evidence certainly is. Blocked and tagged. –MuZemike 22:46, 28 December 2009 (UTC)