Wikipedia talk:Sockpuppet investigations

Could Banasura actually be a sock rather than the sockmaster

See Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Banasura/Archive for details and in particular edits at WP:RSN.[1] At first I thought this was just a new fairly incompetent editor with a pronounced pov, but their ability to rapidly find new IP ranges to sock through and the language of their attacks makes me wondering if they were a returning editor. Doug Weller talk 18:42, 18 March 2018 (UTC)

I see OccultZone editing this page Bhimbetka rock shelters many years ago. Other than that nothing jumps out. I'm not familiar with these IP ranges either. But I get the same feeling you get, this doesn't seem like a genuine new user at all. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 21:04, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

It was the communist charge that made me wonder most. Doug Weller talk 21:11, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

These IP searches within SPI might be informative: 117.207.* 117.221.* 59.96.*. I'll check some of these for similarities later if nobody beats me to it. Looks like the user is still active in these ranges btw. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 21:18, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

@Ivanvector:, Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/117.213.18.8/Archive links to User:Jim1138/IP Hopper from Kerala and seems quite possible. Doug Weller talk 17:51, 21 March 2018 (UTC)

Also, are there any addresses active now I should CU? Doug Weller talk 19:48, 21 March 2018 (UTC)

Swandancelake (talk · contribs) was active on 117.207.234.132 on some admins' talk pages (by admission) but they seem to have stopped. They're already tagged as a Banasura sock, anyway. 59.96.199.143 appears to be static. I don't see a strong connection between Banasura and Jim1138's IP hopper, but I wonder if the IP hopper is related to Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/(Chemistry)? There are no IPs in that archive. I wonder if Jim1138 or Fountains of Bryn Mawr see anything I don't.

I think it's probably safe to consider Banasura a distinct user with sockpuppets, unless anyone finds anything more convincing. Personal observation is supporting more and more my theory that sock puppetry is a cultural phenomenon in the tech communities of some regions, seemingly especially India and eastern Europe, and if we see a blocked user from these areas evading with sockpuppets we should not be too quick to assume they're a returning abuser and not just some random person who's spent most of their tech life finding ways around technical restrictions, and frankly ours are very easy to get around. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 12:12, 22 March 2018 (UTC)

Need history repair of sock-hijacked pages

Per yesterday's report [[2]] can a friendly admin please:

• Restore or history-merge the deleted article Suman Gupta (actress) to its original location at Sumana. The deleted article should be left red. Protecting either at your discretion as this is a favorite target of his.
• Move or histmerge Aapke Aa Jaane Se to its original location at Aap Kaa Surroor again leaving no redirect.
• If you agree that the current AfD warrants a G5 speedy, move/histmerge Chandrashekhar (TV series) to its original location at Talk:Chandra (disambiguation), again with no redirect.

Thanks, Crow^Caw 21:30, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

@Crow: re your first request: Suman Gupta (actress) has almost no (deleted) history. Just a redirect, nothing to merge. Is it maybe Draft:Suman Gupta (actress) that should be merged? Vanjagenije (talk) 21:45, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

• Looks like it got double moved to Draft:Suman Gupta (actress) yes. The page should have the history of Sumana (redirect but with a fair amount of history, much from this sock). Crow^Caw 21:55, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

@Crow: Is it OK now (regarding the first request)? Vanjagenije (talk) 22:06, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

• It needs to be back at Sumana which is a valid redirect. Crow^Caw 22:09, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

• @Crow: I don't understand. The history is now at Sumana, but is deleted. Should I undelete the whole history, but turn it into a redirect? Vanjagenije (talk) 22:22, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

• Sorry yes. Sumana was originally a valid redirect to Saman (deity) before it was hijacked by the sock, so it should be restored as such with the history, which it seems like you've done. Just need to undelete it now to bring it back to status-quo-ante-sock. The target articles that he moved it to should stay deleted, as they are now. Thanks and sorry for the confusion. Crow^Caw 13:53, 20 March 2018 (UTC)

• @Crow:  Done. Seams like your second request was also done by JamesBWatson. Vanjagenije (talk) 15:35, 20 March 2018 (UTC)

• Perfect thanks to you both! Crow^Caw 19:57, 20 March 2018 (UTC)

Some clerking necessary?

I was looking through some old things, and came back to Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/OccultZone/Archive. It seems there's one issue unresolved there. If OZ and AmritasyaPutra are separate people, as we seem to be assuming at the moment, then shouldn't the last couple of reports be moved? If they are not (Doug Weller: I know the unblock was essentially based on giving someone the benefit of the doubt; but what do you think now?) shouldn't this be made clear, especially given that OZ themselves was unblocked a few months after the last report filed here? Vanamonde (talk) 04:20, 22 March 2018 (UTC)

I'm asking others. I'm no longer sure that they are separate. 15:02, 24 March 2018 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Doug Weller (talk • contribs)

I think we should stop assuming that editors tagged as socks of each other are necessarily the same persons. Meatpuppets also get tagged as "socks" and, sometimes, "stolen" or "borrowed" accounts too. Is it possible to disentangle which is which? -- Kautilya3 (talk) 12:39, 25 March 2018 (UTC)

@Kautilya3: I'm less interested in correct record keeping for its own sake, and more interested in having clear documentation that will minimize confusion when dealing with any future sockpuppetry. The OZ sockfarm has supposedly been dealt with; but there's plenty of collusion and tag-teaming going on, much of it by newish users, and plenty of it by users who've learned to dodge the CU. You know of whom I speak. In examining their contributions, I'd like to know, for instance, whether I should compare them to AP and OZ separately, or whether we're considering the whole bunch a single sock/meatfarm with intentionally created behavioral variation. @Doug Weller: Thanks; I appreciate it. Vanamonde (talk) 13:11, 25 March 2018 (UTC)

This SPI may need expediting because I AfD-nommed 5 of the evidence articles prior to filing

I normally have the patience of Job with SPI, but I AfD-nommed several articles before I realized there were numerous socks involved. Since the socks concentrated on only a handful of articles, those 5 articles are the bulk of the evidence, and if they get deleted it will be hard for non-admin clerks to review and may also make it harder for admins to review. The SPI in question is WP:Sockpuppet investigations/Keevaymusic. (I also requested CU but I'm beginning to think CU may not be possible, in which case the evidentiary articles become even more important.) Softlavender (talk) 09:21, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

@Softlavender: This seems straight forward so I will take this. I have applied standard block on the recent two accounts, and I will check around again when I return home. Alex Shih (talk) 09:48, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

I've already closed it, but you can do what you wish with it, Alex.--Bbb23 (talk) 14:22, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

Brilliant, I think this is good enough for now! Thanks Bbb23. Alex Shih (talk) 15:20, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

Sock puppetry at Arabic Numerals

Sock puppetry

The below users are doing sock puppetry

1. User:Kleuske

2. User:Paul August

3. User:JohnBlackburne

All three accounts are being operated by same person. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lptx (talk • contribs) 23:35, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

Please follow the instructions on the main page (WP:SPI) on how to open a case. Look for the heading "How to open an investigation", right above the list of open investigations. 青い(Aoi) (talk) 23:39, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

Thank you, Lptx, for the best laugh I’ve had all day. Pinging Kleuske and Paul August so they too can appreciate this thorough, careful report.--JohnBlackburne^words_deeds 23:41, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

Thanks. I needed that. Kleuske (talk) 23:44, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

@JohnBlackburne: It would be an honor to be able to take credit for all your edits ;-) Paul August ☎ 23:49, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

Dear Aoi, I will provide more details. Lptx (talk) 23:52, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

Dear Kleuske or JohnBlackburne or Paul August - please have all the laugh - laughter therapy is good for health Lptx (talk) 23:52, 28 March 2018 (UTC)