Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets/Paul venter

;Suspected sockpuppeteer

{{user5|1=Paul venter}}

;Suspected sockpuppets

{{user5|1=Raasgat}}

{{user5|1=Roxithro}}

{{user5|1=Rotational}}

;Report submission by

Rkitko ^(talk) 16:31, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

;Evidence

User:Paul venter worked on South African topics mostly related to botany. He was temporarily blocked for copyright violations and personal attacks. User:Raasgat's account appeared [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&page=User:Raasgat log] a few days after Paul venter was last blocked [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&page=User:Paul_venter log]. User:Roxithro appeared in the DRV of a Paul venter article: Wikipedia:Deletion review/Log/2007 July 17. User:Rotational [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&user=Rotational appeared] the same day that both Raasgat and Roxithro stopped editing, with the exception of a single edit later in the month from Raasgat.

Aside from the timescale, the accounts all edit the same material. Paul venter created a copyvio article at Vibration-powered generator. Raasgat recreated the article at the title Vibration powered generator [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vibration_powered_generator&diff=prev&oldid=143740974 diff]. Raasgat has edited the same articles Paul venter has edited - a short list includes Orothamnus, ‎Selmar Schonland, ‎Thomas Robertson Sim, ‎Cathy O'Dowd, ‎Arnold Theiler, List of South African plant botanical authors, etc. All accounts prefer the same style and use the same edit summaries: [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_T._A._Innes&diff=prev&oldid=168738538 diff], [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pierre_Magnol&diff=prev&oldid=153759389 diff], [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Bacchus_Dykes&diff=prev&oldid=142494710 diff]. All accounts also prefer to ignore WP:HEAD and Wikipedia:Guide to layout#Headers and paragraphs: [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Haemanthus&diff=prev&oldid=155581564 diff], [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Franz_Bauer&diff=prev&oldid=140523354 diff], [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Franz_Thonner&diff=next&oldid=166929397 diff], [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elliot_Pinhey&diff=prev&oldid=153311239 diff]. [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Haemanthus_albiflos&diff=prev&oldid=155791347 This] also appears to be the editor in question, since the IP reverted all the style issues Paul venter/Raasgat has confirmed to abhor.

;Comments

In my exchange with Raasgat, he may have been getting awfully close to violating WP:OWN and WP:POINT with some of his edits regarding style issues. Raasgat had also resorted to personal attacks at some points: I was called a "clueless chum" (not the worst thing I've been called...) [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Raasgat&diff=prev&oldid=156059106 diff] after I placed an image in a taxobox against this user's wish [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Helicodiceros_muscivorus&diff=prev&oldid=156056317 diff], which he then attempted to change in [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Helicodiceros_muscivorus&diff=next&oldid=156056317 this botched edit] which only duplicated the image.

To me this appears to be a clear case of "avoiding scrutiny" from other editors. When challenged on the style issues, the user stops using that account and creates another to continue the crusade on style. See User talk:Raasgat for an extensive discussion where the user admits he thinks the style of Wikipedia articles - taxoboxes, headings, etc. - is terrible ("Some editors wouldn't recognise aesthetics if it were handed to them on a skewer"). When confronted with style guidelines, the user resorts to personal attacks and circumvents further discussion by creating additional sockpuppets. The user does make valuable contributions, but the ability to work with other editors within the guidelines and abuse of WP:SOCK takes up his time from those valuable contributions and other editor's time as well. --Rkitko ^(talk) 16:31, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

;Conclusions

Aside from other evidence, the start/stop timelines make this hard to ignore. Socks blocked indef, Paul venter for 72 hours and warned. — Rlevse • Talk • 17:02, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

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