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Smileverse

08 June 2015
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Suspected sockpuppets


Smileverse created American Sleep Association (ASA), which I tagged for speedy deletion, and the IP removed the speedy deletion tag. After taking the article to AFD, I noticed that the IP and Smileverse had both edited a few pages in common:

Due to the policy against CheckUsers disclosing IPs of users, I haven't asked for a CheckUser confirmation here, but this seems like a pretty clear case of WP:DUCK. Inks.LWC (talk) 10:07, 8 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

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


Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments
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10 June 2015
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Suspected sockpuppets


Ejhoyte recently removed a PROD tag from The Notionaries (rock band), which Smileverse created a few days ago. Smileverse has a history of using a sock account to remove CSD tags from articles that he created (although in the past, it had been done via an IP editor). What makes this instance even more suspicious is that the PROD tag removal is the only edit that Ejhoyte has made, several minutes after creating a new account earlier today. Inks.LWC (talk) 05:07, 10 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Comments by other users
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Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.
I totally disagree with this statement "Smileverse has a history of using a sock account to remove CSD tags from articles that he created (although in the past, it had been done via an IP editor)." Now I figured out the reason why you are saying I've logged out and and removed CSD tags, that is because at my work place I do use my personal laptop and office work station simultaneously for various reasons. See, I never logged out in my personal laptop, I just removed deletion tag from my office work station, I agree i.e. because based on my research I can see the subject has notability (I'm talking about the subject you are referring as in the history). I don't have any intention of manipulating the system. One thing, I am aware of IP addresses and how it works, doesn't matter if i logged in or logged out, my IP doesn't change, even by knowing that why do I risk, if your statement is true? I would like contribute to the Wikipedia project with best of my knowledge and ability. What I've learned from this experience is passing news mentions are not acceptable all the times. Thanks for that. Honestly --Mohith:) 12:25, 10 June 2015 (UTC)

FYI, creators of articles may not remove speedy deletion tags from those articles. So if you removed CSD tags, that was improper. When a creator of an article deletes the tag while not logged in, it really looks like the person is trying to evade the CSD policy. Inks.LWC (talk) 18:27, 10 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments
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27 July 2015

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Suspected sockpuppets

Following this case reported to COIN I have blocked Smileverse per WP:NOTPROMO. Others mentioned there that socking may have occurred and I have uncovered some evidence that I think is worthy of CU attention, particularly as there is a chance of sleeper accounts.

  • Baligema is the most suspect - patrolling and removing PRODs from articles Smileverse started. They also created Bangalorean (Website) which if you join the dots of Smileverse's previous username is obviously connected (see also discussion about the site at this AFD and if you can't connect the dots, please email me, but I don't wish to get the wrong side of WP:OUTING).
  • Hill NC created Agent X (Brand) a few days ago, which again is obviously promotional and includes links to bangalorean.net.
  • DK833hj is another new account that created Iwiss, again including links to bangalorean.net
  • Rukuspukus is already blocked per this SPI from earlier this month and there are links to bangalorean.net again at Draft:William Benson which they started.

*Ejhoyte removed a PROD from The Notionaries (rock band) also started by Smileverse. SmartSE (talk) 17:21, 27 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Striking this as I now realise they have already been CUd in the archives.

Comments by other users

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Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims. The sock/meat question is going to come up, I've noticed this group editing logged-out with Bangalore IPs (e.g. 117.216.188.94 (talk · contribs · WHOIS), 101.63.190.241 (talk · contribs · WHOIS), 182.74.246.46 (talk · contribs · WHOIS)) that suggest they share workspaces and maybe some of them work out of the same internet cafe. I'm going to repeat TomStar81 in this regard. In cases where meat- and sockpuppets are indistinguishable, they can all be treated administratively as socks, as we have here. As noted on the sockpuppetry page:

A 2005 Arbitration Committee decision established that "for the purpose of dispute resolution when there is uncertainty whether a party is one user with sockpuppets or several users with similar editing habits they may be treated as one user with sockpuppets."

Hope this helps. Brianhe (talk) 17:43, 27 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Added Artesianvc per this edit less than 5 minutes apart from Smileverse's article creation of VentureCrowd. Brianhe (talk) 18:20, 27 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

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  • information Note: I've blocked group 1 as socks of Smileverse and group 2 as socks of Baligema. Maybe SmartSE can evaluate the behavioral link to see if they should be reclassified as TejaswaChaudhary socks, and then the case could be split of from here to the right target. —SpacemanSpiff 08:52, 30 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
    • Pinging the correct Smartse. —SpacemanSpiff 08:54, 30 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
      • Cheers. I'm not familiar with those socks, but they're clearly all undisclosed paid editors. Telling the groups apart is pretty much impossible though unless they edit the same articles. Maybe add a link to the TC case mentioning that they may be related, just for future reference. SmartSE (talk) 09:49, 30 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
        • On looking through the various accounts, behavioral evidence seems to look a lot like the technical evidence of just "possible", with the TC group. I'm marking for close now, unless the archiving CU/Clerk decides otherwise, this case can be split to Smileverse and Beligama for now. If clearer behavioral evidence comes up later Beligama can be merged to TC. —SpacemanSpiff 12:06, 30 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
  •  Clerk note: @Bbb23: Here, you said that Rukuspukus is Possible to the TejaswaChaudhary, but here you said that he is Confirmed. Which one is true? Vanjagenije (talk) 16:20, 30 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
  • @Vanjagenije: Good question but I'm not going to give you a complete answer as it's complex and I'm not comfortable disclosing the details. Let's simply say that the finding in this SPI supersedes the finding in the earlier report. I've removed the tag from the account but left the account blocked.--Bbb23 (talk) 22:27, 3 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

17 August 2015

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Suspected sockpuppets

The user discloses they are a paid editor. They uploaded an image from Binghampton Times which is a site that the socks had previously used a source of fake references (it is controlled by the master, see MediaWiki_talk:Spam-blacklist#binghamtontimes.com and MediaWiki_talk:Spam-blacklist#bangalorean.net). Here they linked to Bangalorean.net via google news (that site's already blacklisted). SmartSE (talk) 09:52, 17 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Note that I've already blocked them for advertising, but CU confirmation would be helpful to keep track. SmartSE (talk) 09:57, 17 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

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20 October 2016

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Suspected sockpuppets

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As I noted here the domain thelajournal.com previously contained the same contact details as other fake references used by this group of socks. As can be seen here the domain is now registered with the same email address as several other similar fake newspaper sites. Mindcap is already blocked per this thread at COIN and in one of those articles several of the domains listed in the previous link are referenced. I hope this is sufficient to justify a CU on Mindcap in order to see whether there are other accounts still being used. SmartSE (talk) 21:32, 20 October 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Comments by other users

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


Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

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07 July 2017

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Suspected sockpuppets

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As with prior practice, a brand new account with similar naming features appears at a PRODded Smileverse creation to attempt to add referencing. This article has been created by the master & repeatedly groomed by suspected socks (incl Bangalore IP 111.93.133.74). Compare CU confirmed sock "Added notable references" to new acct Rahulgirnar "...Added more authentic sources...". Similar to how sources had been added earlier by new user Riturajsim: [12] immediately after article was tagged for notability. Expect that the new account will also de-PROD soon. Bri (talk) 16:48, 7 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

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These accounts along with the two listed by Bri also worked in tandem on AuthBridge, Draft:AuthBridge Research Services, Authbridge research services, Ajay Trehan, Mr. Ajay Trehan.
 — Berean Hunter (talk) 02:22, 9 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Accounts indeffed, IP blocked. Leaving open for further review.
 — Berean Hunter (talk) 02:28, 9 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

20 August 2017

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Suspected sockpuppets

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Returns to start the previously deleted article, Capital Float, by the master, information and sources are unchanged in advertising and this new account is equally obvious in advertising-only. SwisterTwister talk 04:39, 20 August 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Comments by other users

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


Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

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This case is being reviewed by Sro23 as part of the clerk training process. Please allow them to process the entire case without interference, and pose any questions or concerns either on their Talk page or on this page if more appropriate.

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