Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets/Racepacket (2nd)

User:Racepacket

 * Suspected sockpuppeteer

(already identified as a sockpuppet of Racepacket via an earlier checkuser - see Requests for checkuser/Case/Racepacket) (already blocked as a sockpuppet of Racepacket via an earlier checkuser)
 * Suspected sockpuppets

Alansohn (talk) 02:39, 20 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Report submission by


 * Evidence

Washington Birthday Marathon - Article was created by Runreston, but the only known previous Wikipedia reference to race was added by Racepacket in Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (this diff). Only other edit to this article is by User:207.91.86.2, a confirmed sockpuppet of Racepacket.
 * 14:41, 13 January 2008 Runreston began article. This edit, which created a complete, properly-formatted article, is all the more bizarre as the first edit from someone who has claimed below that he is only first learning how Wikipedia works.
 * 14:45, 13 January 2008 Runreston corrected link
 * 17:43, 18 January 2008 207.91.86.2 - Added external link to Racepacket.com web site


 * DC Road Runners Club - Article created by Racepacket
 * 14:16, 7 March 2007 Racepacket (started article)
 * 17:26, 12 March 2007 Racepacket (expanded description of races)
 * 14:42, 13 January 2008 Runreston ‎(add link to Washington Birthday Marathon)
 * 14:46, 13 January 2008 Runreston (removed orphan tag)


 * Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
 * 14:43, 13 January 2008 Runreston - wikified link to Washington Birthday Marathon
 * 18:13, 24 October 2007 Racepacket (Washington Birthday Marathon)


 * Marathon‎ - Article previously edited eight times by User:Xcstar (three of which are shown below), previously verified as a sockpuppet of Racepacket per Requests for checkuser/Case/Racepacket
 * 14:47, 13 January 2008 Runreston ‎ (→Finish times for non-professional runners - changed section heading)
 * 14:55, 13 January 2008 Runreston ‎ (→Marathon races - used proper name for Marine Corps Marathon)
 * 04:32, 15 December 2007 Xcstar (→Multiple marathons) (undo)
 * 15:41, 14 December 2007 Xcstar (→Multiple marathons - 100 Marathon club) (undo)
 * 15:30, 14 December 2007 Xcstar (→Multiple marathons - repeats in same marathon)


 * Dean Karnazes
 * 14:51, 13 January 2008 Runreston ‎ ‎ (clean up) (top)
 * 04:33, 15 December 2007 Xcstar (→North Face Endurance 50 - main)
 * 09:04, 19 November 2007 Xcstar (more encyclopedic tone)
 * 08:53, 19 November 2007 Xcstar (moved details out of lead paragraph)
 * 08:49, 19 November 2007 Xcstar (→Overview - copy editing)


 * User Pages - brief stub
 * 14:57, 13 January 2008 User:Runreston by Runreston - created page with "My interests are running and marathons."
 * 13:43, 1 November 2007 User:Xcstar by Xcstar "I am a runner"


 * Dane Rauschenberg - this article is near and dear to the Racepacket / Xcstar / Runreston sockpuppets, with Racepacket nominating the article for deletion, Xcstar then taking the baton and abusively editing the article including 96 of his 200+ edits to this one article alone (plus another 40 to the article's talk page) before being caught as a sockpuppet. After one brief day of non-Rauschenberg edits, User:Runreston has dived in with some half of his edit history dedicated to this one article and its talk page.
 * 14:31, 19 January 2008 Runreston
 * 14:30, 19 January 2008 Runreston
 * 14:29, 19 January 2008 Runreston
 * 14:25, 19 January 2008 Runreston
 * 14:19, 19 January 2008 Runreston - remove description as runner and characterize Rauschenberg as "motivational speaker", change fundraising total to $34,000 (removing sourced count of $43,000)
 * 13:52, 18 January 2008 Runreston - remove description as runner and characterize Rauschenberg as "motivational speaker", change fundraising total to $34,000 (removing sourced count of $43,000)
 * 12:43, 7 January 2008 Xcstar - remove description as runner and characterize Rauschenberg as "motivational speaker", change fundraising total to $34,000 (removing sourced count of $43,000)


 * Edits to Chicago area articles. The two have edited articles related to the Chicago area, for locations three miles from each other (see map).
 * 14:19, 20 January 2008 D'Angelo by Runreston - added link to D'Angelo Natural Spring Water, an article created by Runreston and speedy deleted shortly thereafter. D'Angelo Natural Spring Water is located in East Dundee, Illinois
 * 11:50, 4 January 2008 Sleepy Hollow, Illinois by Racepacket

The fact that User:Runreston's edit history overlaps almost completely with Racepacket / Xcstar, and the fact that Runreston's edit history consists almost entirely of edits to the Dane Rauschenberg article raises significant concerns that we are seeing the same abuse we saw earlier. None of the actions here are indicative of a user new to Wikipedia.
 * Comments

The syllogism of Racepacket = Xcstar = 207.91.86.2 has already been conclusively proven at Requests for checkuser/Case/Racepacket. The fact that our brand new editor User:Runreston has an edit history that syncs up exactly with all three of these users -- there is no article other than his user page that the three known sockpuppets have not also edited -- provides rather conclusive evidence that we are dealing with sockpuppetry, and that all of the users involved should be promptly blocked/banned to prevent any further abuse of Wikipedia policy, as has been a chronic problem with these users and the Dane Rauschenberg article.

A permanent block is clearly justified for User:Runreston, and it should be abundantly clear that a ban on User:Racepacket is long overdue, particularly in light of the fact that a block was imposed just days ago has been so blatantly flouted. -- This is all very confusing, but it appears that the author is concerned that it took me seven edits to accomplish what a more experienced person could do in one edit. I am still learning how to do this and will try to become more efficient as I gain more experience. Runreston (talk) 19:14, 20 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I'd have to say that someone whose first edit was the creation of a properly-formatted new article and who seems to have ample understanding of the syntax of the reference templates is someone who has demonstrated a clear track record of prior Wikipedia edits. Sockpuppetry should be a word that is a well-established part of your vocabulary. Alansohn (talk) 20:32, 20 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I'd assume good faith here, it could well be a friend of the editor, as people do introduce one another to websites they're interested in... I just hope it's not meatpuppetry. --Solumeiras (talk) 20:37, 20 January 2008 (UTC)
 * The editing pattern speaks for itself, but there is indeed the infinitesimal possibility that these are two different people who happen to share the exact same editing interests. Meatpuppet or sockpuppet, the use of another false identity in a continuing pattern of abuse that needs to be ended, both puppet and puppetmaster. Alansohn (talk) 20:44, 20 January 2008 (UTC)


 * I speak from experience. An admin on here accused me of being a sockpuppet of an indefinitely blocked editor, who had "good hand, bad hand account" sockpuppets about a year ago - and it's forced me to declare my user history on my userpage. Either way, I suspect it's probably a friend who's meatpuppeting for him (is that even a proper term?) As it were, I was introduced to Wikipedia by friends, so I speak from experience. I agree with your points though, Alan. --Solumeiras (talk) 20:53, 20 January 2008 (UTC)

Very convincing case. Blocked IP 24 hours and Runreston indef. Blocked Racepacket one week and final warning. What shows this is socking vice meatpuppeting is the appearance of Runreton right after the Xcstar was blocked. Tagged all. — Rlevse  •  Talk  •
 * Conclusions

UPDATE, Checkuser just confirmed Runreston is NOT Racepacket, but keep an eye out for new editors on that topic. — Rlevse  •  Talk  • 22:51, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

UPDATE, Checkuser now says  "likely"] —  Rlevse  •  Talk  • 01:14, 31 January 2008 (UTC)