Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets/Richprentice

=[[User:Richprentice]]=

;Suspected sockpuppeteer

;Suspected sockpuppets

;Portland State University IPs

;Oregon Health & Sciences University IPs

;Report submission by

Orpheus (talk) 00:22, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

;Evidence

Accounts all making the same contested edits to Environment California, using multiple accounts in an apparent effort to avoid 3RR. For example:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environment_California&diff=prev&oldid=174949056 Portlandy]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environment_California&diff=prev&oldid=176035194 Human growth and development] (not identical reversion, but edit summary points to puppetry).
[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environment_California&diff=prev&oldid=176022200 Jimmihoffa]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environment_California&diff=prev&oldid=173582962 Richprentice]

Also similar comments made by all accounts on user talk pages. The accounts are so new that they're all under 20 contribs, so even a quick glance through the contributions should add further confirmation if required.

:For example, Portlandy, One of the PSU IPs and the OHSU IP all make similar comments about "erasing entire pages" and "collaboration" and suppression of free speech: [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Christopher_Mann_McKay&diff=176002960&oldid=175966957 Diff], [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Christopher_Mann_McKay&diff=175966717&oldid=175925542 Diff], [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Christopher_Mann_McKay&diff=175836184&oldid=174972456 Diff], [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Christopher_Mann_McKay&diff=174949450&oldid=174931681 Diff]

For the link between Portlandy and Jimmihoffa, note that Jimmihoffa signed "Portlandy" after WP:RFPP reports: [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Requests_for_page_protection&diff=prev&oldid=176017600] [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Requests_for_page_protection&diff=next&oldid=176018205].

The user James Whitmore asked for [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Requests_for_page_protection&diff=prev&oldid=175876455 protection] on Environment California, despite never having edited that page. The reverts he mentions are of edits made by [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environment_California&diff=174726332&oldid=174724012 Portlandy] and the other socks mentioned above.

One of the PSU IPs and Human growth and development use similar comments about "hopefully making everyone happy": [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environment_California&diff=176035194&oldid=176022200 Diff], [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environment_California&diff=176043446&oldid=176035891 Diff].

Two of the PSU IPs characterize others' edits as vandalism: [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environment_California&diff=prev&oldid=175966256 Diff], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/131.252.192.223 Diff].

The OHSU IP signed one post as Jimmihoffa: [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Christopher_Mann_McKay&diff=prev&oldid=175836184 Diff].

On 6 December, one of the OHSU IPs left [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Christopher_Mann_McKay&diff=prev&oldid=176253322 a comment] on Christopher Mann McKay's talk page immediately before Jimmihoffa [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environment_California&diff=176256246&oldid=176255770 reverted CMM's edits].

;Comments

Note that I have no idea which is the puppeteer - the user seems to be using all the accounts and IP editing pretty much interchangably. I picked the oldest one.

::They're editing the same topics, but not making the same edits. Can you provide better diffs? — Rlevse • Talk • 03:21, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

:::I've added an instance where Jimmihoffa signed a comment as Portlandy, which would seem to suggest that those two accounts may be used by the same person. —C.Fred (talk) 03:45, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

:::: Rlevse, the best one to look at is the [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environment_California&action=history page history] of Environment California. There's not a huge number of diffs to post, but the essence is that Richprentice made a contentious edit which was reversed. Then another user from the list above came in and reverted, making further edits to their version. When that was edited, yet another user from the list reverted and continued to make further edits. That's why the diffs aren't identical - they're restoring the same content, but what they restore keeps evolving. Orpheus (talk) 06:36, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

I've added several IPs from Portland State and OHSU (both schools are in the same area). Similar issues are happening with Environment Oregon, which is where I became aware of Environment California. Katr67 (talk) 17:37, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

I've added another IP edit from today. It may be an innocent case of forgetting to log in, but it establishes a circumstantial link between the IPs and the users. —C.Fred (talk) 23:49, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

::I by analyzing the information given, I think the only way to really resolve this would be to put in a Checkuser request. VivioFateFan ^{(Talk, Sandbox)} 04:34, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

:::Agreed, although I must note that in [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Christopher_Mann_McKay&diff=176313089&oldid=176288630 this comment], Jimmihoffa confirms that he is User:131.252.232.103, who had just made [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environment_California&diff=176312212&oldid=176311032 this edit]. Tying the other usernames together would still be a good idea. —C.Fred (talk) 05:49, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

:::: The other usernames have been quiet for a while now - perhaps the user saw the talk page warnings and read the sockpuppet policy. I'm happy to withdraw this now, but I'll re-file (maybe at WP:RFCU) if the other accounts wake up again. Any thoughts? Orpheus (talk) 08:22, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

File the RFCU, the named accounts woke up again. — Rlevse • Talk • 15:17, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

:I filed the RFCU and the checkuser said the result was confirmed, but I don't know what else to do. VivioFateFan ^{(Talk, Sandbox)} 15:29, 10 December 2007 (UTC)

:: I think it's up to an admin at this point. Thanks for filing the checkuser, I've been busy irl. Orpheus (talk) 16:41, 10 December 2007 (UTC)

;Conclusions

Posted on the administrator's noticeboard. An admin will get to them eventually. --EoL talk 22:03, 10 December 2007 (UTC)

::Named accounts were blocked by another admin. RFCU confirmed too. — Rlevse • Talk • 02:07, 11 December 2007 (UTC)

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