Wikipedia:Requests for checkuser/Case/Pope Barry George

{{rfcu box|case=Pope Barry George|filed=14:16, 28 March 2008 (UTC)}}

• {{checkuser|Pope Barry George}}

• {{checkuser|Swirl Face}}
• {{checkuser|Andrew Craigie}}
• {{checkuser|Oli Mitchell}}
• {{checkuser|Allen Lee Remis}}
• {{checkuser|Trip to Sunderland}}
• {{checkuser|Nick White's virgins}}
• {{checkuser|Sunderland University Lecturers Watchdog}}
• {{checkuser|Bob from lostpedia}}
• {{checkuser|Definitely telling the truth}}
• {{checkuser|Piranha Phillips}}
• {{checkuser|Terrified Fowl}}
• {{checkuser|Agent Ben W. Lister}}

• Code letter: C
• Supporting evidence: Provided in Detail Below.
• See also the following ANI threads:

:* Wikipedia:ANI#Pope_Barry_George_blocked

:* Wikipedia:ANI#User:Allen Lee Remis

This case involves an editor who claims to be an admin and proceeds to disrupt the project. Of particular concern are the following actions, common to most of the socks listed above:

• Closing AfD debates as Delete or Speedy Delete, as with PBG [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Muscle_derived_stem_cells&diff=prev&oldid=201328122 here], Swirl Face [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Salt_Spring_Air&diff=prev&oldid=201543772 here], and Andrew Craigie [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Indt2.sys&diff=prev&oldid=201572425 here].
• Removing AfD tags from articles closed as per above, by PBG [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muscle_derived_stem_cells&diff=prev&oldid=201328236 here], Swirl Face [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Salt_Spring_Air&diff=prev&oldid=201543854 here], and Craigie [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indt2.sys&diff=prev&oldid=201572711 here].
• Reviewing unblock requests, as with PBG [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Confederate_till_Death&diff=prev&oldid=201533551 here], accepting an unblock request for the indef blocked User:Confederate till Death, and Swirl Face [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Confederate_till_Death&diff=prev&oldid=201541450 here] declining an unblock on the same user, and with Oli Mitchell [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Parcich&diff=prev&oldid=201576374 here].
• Threatening to continue sockpuppetry and impersonation of administrators, as with PBG [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Pope_Barry_George&diff=prev&oldid=201536221 here] and Oli Mitchell [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/Incidents&diff=prev&oldid=201575776 here], at ANI, and Nick White's Virgins [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/Incidents&diff=prev&oldid=201579862 here], also at ANI.
• Tagging userpages as Blocked, as with Allen Lee Remis [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Snigbrook&diff=prev&oldid=201319532 here].
• The image :Image:Hurleylost.PNG has also been involved here. A version of this image was uploaded by Bob from lostpedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Image%3AHurleylost.PNG&diff=201088224&oldid=161480367 here] (which was reverted), was used as a photo by PBG on his userpage, and later was replaced with a false version by Silly Face [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Image:Hurleylost.PNG&diff=next&oldid=201546929 here] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Image:Hurleylost.PNG&diff=next&oldid=201550524 here].

In each case, the user formatted his User page using the User page of another Wikipedian:

• Pope Barry George copied the format of his user page [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Pope_Barry_George&diff=prev&oldid=201285976 here], using a fair use image as a photo and changing the e-mail address to one beginning with "olim", matching Oli Mitchell. This format is identical to that of User:Nburden, whom PBG then accused of being a sock [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Nburden&diff=prev&oldid=201340243 here]. The talk page was the same, even retaining a link to edit a new section on Nburden's talk page (as seen [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Pope_Barry_George&diff=prev&oldid=201286609 here]).
• Silly Face chose User:Durova's page, [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Swirl_Face&diff=prev&oldid=201540887 thus], adding the Administrator template [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Swirl_Face&diff=prev&oldid=201541027 later].
• Oli Mitchell used an experienced Wikipedian's page, though I'm not sure whose. The user in question is an administrator, though, as shown [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Oli_Mitchell&diff=prev&oldid=201575114 here], in a userbox which Oli failed to remove.

I'm filing this request to ensure that these users are indeed related, and are thus sleeper socks (given the close proximity of user creation dates on 19 November 2007), or that they are unrelated and indicative of a larger problem. I stress for the record that the impersonation of admins can have significant collateral damage, as indicated by the unblock requests of User:Confederate till Death, whose puzzlement at sort-of-not-really being unblocked (seen [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk%3AConfederate_till_Death&diff=201534390&oldid=201533551 here]) must have been bothersome. UltraExactZZ ^Claims ~ Evidence 14:47, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

: Note that this all appears related to a previous sock farm uncovered last summer. See :Category:Wikipedia sockpuppets of Pope Benjamin Lister and Wikipedia:Requests for checkuser/Case/Pope Benjamin Lister for links and details. - TexasAndroid (talk) 15:16, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

• Other socks are appearing: {{user|Smarties McFlurry}} and {{user|Truth about the terror in Vietnam}}. The second of these has made vandal edits almost identical to those of {{user|Obese Futures Trader}} and others on Orangemike's userpage a few days ago. --Snigbrook ^(talk) 16:00, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

• {{Takenote}} These accounts are mostly all tied to a known vandal from a particular IP. That address is already blocked anon only/ACB but these accounts were all created before the block. Some new accounts were created at an internet cafe, now blocked. His main address is a firewall for a large institution with many good users, so there is a problem with stronger blocks. Thatcher 16:05, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

• There may be more "Pope" usernames, of the five names beginning "Pope" registered on the 19th Nov 2007, four were blocked recently, including the subject of this checkuser, other more recent ones may also be related (use an API query to find a list of them). For example, I would guess that {{User|Pope Steven Wright}}, registered on 22 January, probably is. --Snigbrook ^(talk) 16:17, 28 March 2008 (UTC)
• Good catch, 5 more sleepers blocked. In general, though, unless they have recent edits, we can't spot them until they activate. The vandal here should probably read :m:Privacy policy, especially #5. Thatcher 16:46, 28 March 2008 (UTC)