Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/KhndzorUtogh

KhndzorUtogh

KhndzorUtogh (talk⁺ · tag · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · spi block · block log · CA · CheckUser(log) · investigate · cuwiki)

For archived investigations, see Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/KhndzorUtogh/Archive.

18 March 2024

– An SPI clerk has relisted this case for a checkuser to make another check.

Suspected sockpuppets

• Vanezi Astghik (talk⁺ · tag · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · spi block · block log · CA · CheckUser(log) · investigate · cuwiki)
• Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • SPI Tools

General points and editing patterns:

1. Both users tend to revert edits by frequently citing the "lack of Extended-confirmed" status of an editor in topics relating to Armenia-Azerbaijan, even in the most dubious cases where neither politics nor ethnically charged topics are involved. Too many examples to cite, but consider these for examples: [1] [2]

In the first example, edit made by KhndzorUtogh, the topic is a Georgian-Armenian yogurt dish, which I think hardly falls under the Armenia-Azerbaijan sanctions umbrella. In the second example, edit made by Vanezi Astghik, is on a page about a Turkish-Armenian writer and lexicographer, which again, has hardly anything to do with Armenia-Azerbaijan topics umbrella.

Many more examples are to be found in the edit histories, can be found just by pressing ctrl+g and searching up "extended confirmed" [3] [4]. Worth noting that both suspected accounts will typically proceed to place a "lack of extended-confirmed" status notification in the talk pages of the users whose edits they reverted.

2. It seems that there is a significant overlap in articles in which the users edit. This can be seen from here for example, [5]. They have 52 overlapping edit articles, of which 11 are talk pages. More broadly speaking, both accounts edit almost exclusively in the Armenia-Azerbaijan related topics, specifically on the pages pertaining to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between the two countries.

3. The above can also be seen here [6] where it seems there is a significant overlap in editing articles between the two users.

4. Both users move pages from one name to another a lot. When opening their edit histories [7] [8], just by pressing ctrl+g on windows and then searching for "requested move" or "moved", one can see that a significant portion of the past 500 edits of each user has been concerned with either moving pages, or requesting a move for pages.

5. Users appear to have alternating spikes in editing activity, with editing activity "hopping" between the two accounts. When one account is highly active, the other account tends to be passive, and vice-versa. Consider this interaction timeline for example between the two users [9]. One account edits intensively, then goes into hibernation, and another account starts editing actively.

6. Both users stopped editing soon after this SPI case was filed, and the period of their editing break almost completely coincided.

• For Vanezi Astghik, the editing break was between 19th March - 6th April with only one edit in-between those dates, on 2nd April [10]
• For KhndzorUtogh, the editing break was between 22nd March - 5th April, with no edits at all between those dates [11]

Linguistic and edit description similarities:

1. Both users typically keep the edit descriptions very short, and frequently omit writing anything at all, as can be seen in the edit histories [12] [13]

2. There are re-occuring justifications of reverting back to "stable" version between the two users

Vanezi Astghik [14][15][16][17][18][19]

KhndzorUtogh [20][21][22][23][24][25]

3. Re-occuring justification of reverting or making edits on basis of "due/undue" information. Specifically focusing on the word "due", often written in combination as "due weight" or "undue weight" when referring to information.

Vanezi Astghik [26][27][28][29][30][31]

KhndzorUtogh [32][33][34][35][36][37]

4. Both users often rely on "consensus" as a justification for edits and reverts, and mention this in edit descriptions.

Vanezi Astghik [38] [39][40][41][42]

KhndzorUtogh [43][44][45][46][47]

5. Both users often focus on nomenclature of whatever article or section they edit and will use that justification in their edit description as adjusting/restoring the "correct name" or "common name" or "original language name" etc.

Vanezi Astghik [48][49][50][51][52]

KhndzorUtogh [53][54][55][56][57]

6. Both users frequently focus on semantics and "wording" of the article or section they are editing, and mention that in the edit description.

Vanezi Astghik [58][59][60][61][62]

KhndzorUtogh [63][64][65][66][67]

-- Creffel (talk) 22:07, 18 March 2024 (UTC)

Comments by other users

Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.

It is curious that 3 different users added references to a little known NGO called Lemkin Institute leaving an identical edit summary.

R.Lemkin

• [68] added Lemkin Institute reaction + russia role analysis + copyedit

• [69] copy edit the format, and added reaction from the Lemkin Institute

Phantomette

• [70] added Lemkin Institute reaction

Vanezi Astghik

• [71] added Lemkin Institute reaction

The first two accounts are known to be connected, according to SPI on R.Lemkin. Grandmaster 07:41, 25 April 2024 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

• Diff links fixed ~ ToBeFree (talk) 23:31, 28 March 2024 (UTC)
• The checkuser results are  Inconclusive. Closer behavioral investigation needed. ~ ToBeFree (talk) 02:08, 29 March 2024 (UTC)
•  Administrator note I'm still working on the behavioral analysis, but @ToBeFree: can you please compare the technical data against anything you may have for Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/R.Lemkin? I'm seeing a lot of overlap and behavioral similarities with that master as well, and there's a sock which isn't stale at Phantomette. The Wordsmith^{Talk to me} 17:50, 24 April 2024 (UTC)

  We may need diffs or something more specific for this, but I'd value a second opinion anyway, so I'll mark the request as "relisted". ~ ToBeFree (talk) 19:07, 24 April 2024 (UTC)

• I've taken a look, but I'm not seeing any technical connection between the accounts, including Phantomette. Girth Summit _(blether) 07:36, 25 April 2024 (UTC)

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