Administrator instructions
The suspected sock puppets page is where Wikipedians discuss if a fellow Wikipedian has violated Wikipedia's policy on sock puppets. Cases on this page are evaluated primarily on the basis of behavioral evidence, and the editors and administrators who look at the reports typically do not have the ability to determine what IP addresses Wikipedia editors are using. If you believe your case requires an IP check, please go to requests for checkuser.
Sometimes users who appear to work with a common agenda are not sockpuppets (one user, multiple accounts), but multiple users editing with the sole purpose of backing each other up, often called "meatpuppets." Meatpuppets are not regular Wikipedians who happen to agree with each other; they are accounts set up by separate individuals for the sole purpose of supporting one another. For the purposes of upholding policy, Wikipedia does not distinguish between meatpuppets and sockpuppets. Please see Wikipedia:Sock puppetry.
Administrators
Administrators please see Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets/Administrators for detailed instructions about how to determine sockpuppets, archiving, etc. for editing here at Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets (WP:SSP).
Reporting suspected sock puppets
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Before creating a report at Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets (WP:SSP), please be sure that:
- The problem is current; if the suspected sock puppets have not edited recently, the case will likely be closed as stale. If the problem is not ongoing, just watch the user and report when you see a new instance of abuse.
- You have strong evidence. If your evidence is weak, then it will be nearly impossible to reach a determination of sockpuppetry. All your statements should be supported by diffs.
- The sockpuppet account you suspect is not already blocked.
- The sockpuppet account you suspect is not already reported. Look through open SSP cases for usernames frequently associated with your suspect. Both older and newer cases, many of whose accounts are now blocked, show up in the categories for sockpuppeteers, sockpuppets, and suspected sockpuppets.
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- Assume good faith, if possible. An alternate account that is not used for abuse does not warrant a complaint. Keep in mind that users may sometimes make mistakes, so in cases where an alternate account is largely used for legitimate activities, it may be appropriate to ask the user before making accusations. The problem might merely have been caused by a mistaken login or other absent-mindedness.
- Fill in the names. Clicking "Start a case" with a new case name-or-number opens a fresh page, with a form ready to be filled in. The puppetmaster's name will be automatically filled in as the filename; if this is not correct, due to added numbers like "(2nd)", replace the {{SUBPAGENAME}} tags with the puppetmaster's username. Also replace the placeholder names SOCKPUPPET1 and SOCKPUPPET2 with the account names of the suspected puppets; add or delete these lines as needed. Always leave out the "User:" prefix.
- Make your case. Now write up your evidence in the "Evidence" section. This should describe why you believe there's puppetry occurring, however obvious it might be. If this is not the first time the user is suspected, links to other cases you know about should be provided as well. The evidence should point to one or more instances of illegitimate use of the puppet account. Include the diffs to support your statements. Sign and timestamp your case with ~~~~ on the line below "Report submission by"; preview your report for any problems; and, when you're satisfied, save it.
| To start a case report about suspected sockpuppetry:
Cases are created on subpages of Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets.
To do so, add the username of the puppetmaster (the main account, not the sockpuppet!) -- and the number of the case, "(2nd)", "(3rd)", etc., if there were previous cases on that username -- into the box below.
Leave out the "User:" prefix. Replace only the word PUPPETMASTER, leaving the rest as is.
Example: if there were already two cases about User:John Doe, the new case would be titled:
Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets/John Doe (3rd)
Then click "Start a case". You will be taken to a page where you can fill out the report.
After you've saved the report, come back to see the remaining instructions below this box.
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- List your case for review in the WP:SSP open cases section here. Add the line {{Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets/PUPPETMASTER}} (or PUPPETMASTER (2nd) or PUPPETMASTER (3rd), etc.) at the top of the list, just below the section header. (Again, remember to replace PUPPETMASTER with the actual account name, without the "User:" prefix.) Save your edit. Check to see that your report shows up at the top of the list, just below the "Open cases" header. If there's only a red link, check that the spelling of the username and the number match the filename you created.
- Notify the suspected users. Edit the user talk pages (not the user pages) of the suspected sockpuppeteer and sock puppets to add the text {{subst:uw-socksuspect|1=PUPPETMASTER}} ~~~~ at the bottom of the talk page. If this is not the first time the user is suspected, the most recent evidence page should be specified by adding "(2nd)" or "(3rd)", etc., after the user's name: {{subst:uw-socksuspect|1=PUPPETMASTER (2nd)}} ~~~~ or similar.
- Consequences. If the evidence shows a case of clear abuse, with no serious doubt, an administrator may block any sockpuppets, and take further action against the puppetmaster. In less severe cases, administrators may quietly monitor the account's activities.
- Checking further. In some cases, where there is significant abuse and yet puppetry is not certain, it might be appropriate to use technical means to detect puppetry. See Requests for checkuser (WP:RFCU) for details.
Open cases
- Suspected sockpuppeteer
- Jean Girard (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log · rfcu)
- Suspected sockpuppets
- JeanGirard55 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log)
- Report submission by
JavaTenor (talk) 01:28, 5 December 2008 (UTC)
- Evidence
Creating same page as other sockpuppets. Name is a bit of a give-away, as well.
- Comments
- Conclusions
- Suspected sock puppeteer
Fnr Kllrb (talk+ · contribs · deleted contribs · tag · block user · block log · checkuser)
- Suspected sock puppets
- Report submission by
- Evidence
- Sock created to evade most recent 48-hour block. The sock was created at 20:33, 3 December 2008 [1] after Fnr Krllb (talk · contribs) received their latest block [2] and edits the same pages (namely Tatars (|talk|history|links|watch|logs) using edit summaries suggestive of ongoing involvement [3]. The sock's name is also the original user name reversed.
Given the master account's history of disruptive editing and now block evasion, I think an extension of the initial block may be in order.
- Comments
- Conclusions
Umm, yes, I'm Fnr Kllrb. I had no idea that this was prohibited :D Please delete both these accounts, but first tell me when should I return. I want to make a fresh start with a new username. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Brllkrnf (talk • contribs) 12:32, 4 December 2008 (UTC)
- Suspected sock puppeteer
Supertramper (talk+ · contribs · deleted contribs · tag · block user · block log · checkuser)
- Suspected sock puppets
Report submission by Xymmax So let it be written So let it be done 21:54, 3 December 2008 (UTC)
- Evidence
- Block evasion. Essentially identical vandalism on Traverse City West Senior High (|talk|history|links|watch|logs), Tom Doak (|talk|history|links|watch|logs), and Doug Stanton (|talk|history|links|watch|logs). All accounts edited these articles virtually exclusively, with a close correlation as to date and time, with the successor sock picking up after the earlier one was blocked. All accounts are currently indef blocked, so this report is more to formalize the finding. Full disclosure: I blocked the last sock after I noticed it had vandalized my user page, apparently in retaliation for semi-protecting the Staton article. Since I didn't recognize the user, I took a closer look. Looks like WP:DUCK to me. I rather suspect that the last 3 user names are real people at the school; I'm not sure if there's anything to be done about that.
- Comments
- Conclusions
- Suspected sockpuppeteer
- 66.186.184.193 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log · rfcu)
- Suspected sockpuppets
- SartBimpson (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log)
- 76.179.96.184 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log)
- Report submission by
MuZemike (talk) 22:17, 3 December 2008 (UTC)
- Evidence
Clear case of block evasion (due to vandalism) by creating an account to work around it. The same comments to request deletion for Scrutinizer (see Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Scrutinizer) —in which user is not the author of — are made [4] and [5].
I am also adding another IP as a possible sock of the puppeteer as both IPs come from Maine and as shown by a similar threatening comment here.
- Comments
Ridiculous, but do whatever you want, it won't affect me. I'm not wasting my time on this. That's my one and only comment, so enjoy, boys. And no, I'm not the same user. -76.179.96.184
- Note — Requesting checkuser
here here (moved to IP check subpage). MuZemike (talk) 04:47, 4 December 2008 (UTC)
- Conclusions
- Suspected sockpuppeteer
- Three Musketeers (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log)
- Suspected sockpuppets
- Kiano123 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log)
- Report submission by
~~ [ジャム][talk] 19:29, 3 December 2008 (UTC)
- Evidence
Almost identical username to indef blocked sock Kiano1234 (talk · contribs) and also this edit - 1 - arguing about Strictly results like the sock Kiano1234 did
- Comments
- Conclusions
- Suspected sock puppeteer
Weareallone (talk+ · contribs · deleted contribs · tag · block user · block log · checkuser)
- Suspected sock puppets
- Report submission by
- Evidence
Following the indef block of User:Mmmovie, which was self-identified as an account of Mark Bellinghaus, an account which had been dormant for eight months, User:Weareallone, was reactivated. User:Weareallone removed sourced material from Mark Bellinghaus (|talk|history|links|watch|logs) and added unsourced material about Bellinghaus' rivals. The account was indef blocked as a sockpuppet of User:Mmmovie, for block evasion.
New user User:Mendocinocap reverted corrections that had been made to make the article agree with sources, and then removed a reference, removed a paragraph containing unflattering but sourced information, and added material about Bellinghaus rivals. New user User:TerpischoreMuse made a series of edits inserting new material about Bellinghaus and his business partners, again focusing on Bellinghaus' rivals.
Please see the earlier sockpuppetry case - this may be associated users working together. Please also note that following this rather poisonous and protracted ANI discussion, I am voluntarily refraining from editing Mark Bellinghaus (|talk|history|links|watch|logs), so none of the edits listed above have been reverted.
- Comments
I am not a sock puppet.--TerpischoreMuse (talk) 18:41, 4 December 2008 (UTC)
- Conclusions
- Suspected sock puppeteer
Bolly Nickers (talk+ · contribs · deleted contribs · tag · block user · block log · checkuser)
- Suspected sock puppets
- Report submission by
- Evidence
- Previous discussion was at [6]. I'm not even sure which one was the original account. I'll go with Bolly Nickers because it was one that was caught and banned. Over several weeks in April and May of this year, this individual's dozens of sockpuppets were caught and banned. A number of them had made threatening and harrassing statements to me and other users, and most of that abuse had to be removed by Wikipedia's oversight process. I don't have much specific evidence of the connection here, but these sockpuppets mostly edit articles related to license plates in the United States, often creating graphically manipulated images of historical license plates that never actually existed, then inserting them into articles in some elaborate campaign of misinformation against Wikipedia (why, I have no idea). Some of these socks that have not yet been banned include User:Battersea Bosco, User:Campbell Showing, User:Mr. License Plate, and User:Yuck Flu By Road for a comparison of their user contributions with these new sockpuppets. User:NJ Plates, specifically, added the same unsourced content as these most recent sockpuppets have been re-adding recently. I can try to be more specific if necessary, but, unfortunately, I'd venture that more of this puppetmaster's contributions have been oversighted than not. Qqqqqq (talk) 02:28, 3 December 2008 (UTC)
- Comments
- Conclusions
- Suspected sock puppeteer
Fraberj (talk+ · contribs · deleted contribs · tag · block user · block log · checkuser)
- Suspected sock puppets
- Report submission by
- Evidence
SPA account editing two of the articles Charles Collins is so obsessed with. Special:Contributions/71.114.33.233
Please also semi-protect the articles
Ralph_Merkle
Robert_Freitas
- Comments
- Conclusions
- Suspected sock puppeteer
71.28.210.204 (talk+ · contribs · deleted contribs · tag · block user · block log · checkuser)
- Suspected sock puppets
