Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Icouce/Archive

Icouce

Icouce (talk⁺ · tag · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · spi block · block log · CA · CheckUser(log) · investigate · cuwiki)

Report date October 29 2009, 19:31 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets

ChinaUpdater (talk⁺ · tag · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · spi block · block log · CA · CheckUser(log) · investigate · cuwiki)

Evidence submitted by Atama

I'm reporting an additional sock to known sockmaster ChinaUpdater. ChinaUpdater was indefinitely blocked for disruption, and FederalLibrarian was blocked for being a sockpuppet of the banned user.

Uppsala Mafia was an article created by FederalLibrarian, and then deleted under the G5 criteria (created by a banned user in violation of the ban). It was then recreated by Icouce, exactly as it was before, even though the deleted page would be unavailable to anyone who hadn't requested a copy in user space (and Icouce has done no such thing).

Icouce stated on the talk page of the article, under the topic heading "ChinaUpdater" that he was "working with other editors" to make "further modifications". That could be an admission of meatpuppetry, or an attempt to deflect sockpuppetry suspicions.

This move brought the attention of other editors who suspected that Icouce was another sockpuppet of ChinaUpdater. Those suspicions were raised at Talk:Uppsala Mafia, which was given a long response. Some things to note in the response are the style; a long list of short "facts" presented as bullet points, identical to the same defense given by ChinaUpdater on his talk page. Icouce also admits at least knowing ChinaUpdater in the flesh, having said, "I am an eye witness to ChinaUpdater’s email, computer, and two cell phones being hacked, and the hard drive wiped."

Looking at Icouce's contributions, you will see edits made to Yasheng Group and Silk Route Museum, two articles that ChinaUpdater had also edited, and at the same time as Icouce. That, and little else before Uppsala Mafia was recreated.

This is such an obvious case of sockpuppetry and/or meatpuppetry that I almost think this report is unnecessary, but since no action has yet been taken against the editor I feel it is necessary. -- Atama頭 19:31, 29 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Comments by accused parties

See Defending yourself against claims.

Comments by other users

Not really sockpuppetry I don't think, but I wanted to point out that Icouce has been signing as "Writer's Cramp" lately. See, for example, Talk:Uppsala Mafia and compare the edit history against the signatures. Rees11 (talk) 21:17, 29 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for pointing that out, which I should have done. Without knowing that it could be difficult to see their contributions on discussion pages (it confused me at first as well). -- Atama頭 21:24, 29 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Clerk, patrolling admin and checkuser comments

Conclusions

CU User:Alison and I have already looked at this. See Talk:Uppsala_Mafia#Reliable_Sourcing_and_Verbatim_Quotes for a very detailed explanation. We call this this Likely. Icouce one week blocked, other named accounts indef. — Rlevse • Talk • 00:29, 30 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Concur. This one is

Likely based on a number of factors - Alison ^❤ 00:31, 30 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Clerk note: Sock (now ChinaUpdater, as Icouce is the sockmaster) tagged. MuZemike 01:58, 30 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

This case has been marked as closed. It has been archived automatically.