Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/TechnicianGB

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TechnicianGB

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

30 April 2024[edit]

– This SPI case is closed and will be archived shortly by an SPI clerk or checkuser.

Suspected sockpuppets[edit]

TechnicianGB who is the sockmaster account has not been active for a while. However his suspected socks Farell37, WikiEditor1890 and Pfarla (last editted Aug 2023) continue to abuse mostly Spanish climate articles with the intention to make these areas appear milder/hotter/less snowy than they really are. Especially edits in the Almeria, Climate of Europe and other Spanish articles are common to all accounts with the sole intention to create the illusion that these areas are milder/hotter/less snowy. This has culminated with 2 of his socks speaking to each other in order to create a fake consensus by appearing to be two different accounts here: [1]. Also IP user 84.125.72.188 shows the same attitude being the first one to add the debetable Montoro data in the Climate of Europe so as to give way to suspected socks to kill any future objection. Behavioural evidence shows how all of the accounts/IP's have the same fixation. The behavior is sneaky and goes to great lengths to avoid detection and identification of said accounts. Mostly when in need of consensus to something other editors object one account wakes up from hibernation to provide assistance. While there is also cooperation between socks to bury, kill, invalidate or trivialize RSs that challenge the sockmaster's POV (be it Spain related articles or other mild European areas articles).I have politely asked the 2 recently active suspected socks in their talk pages if they are related to TechnicianGB and both deny it showing the same behavior of almost immediately blanking their pages. Note in the provided examples that when I confronted Farell37 he maintained he is Portuguese which is not convincing at all ( [2][3] [4]).


  • Writing style. General writing style the same among all accounts with a particular focus on grandiose claims/statements on Spain. The sockmaster's English has improved through time, however there are occasional slip ups in terms of grammar which are so specific that are enough to identify him.
  • Same past tense mistake in English examples : Farell37→ putted [9],TechnicianGB →putted [10], Farell37→putted (8th paragraph of line 117) [11], Farell37→ didn't liked (9th paragraph of line 117) [12], TechnicianGB → maded [13], TechnicianGB → maded [14], TechnicianGB → maded[15], TechnicianGB → spended [16], Pfarla → didn't made[17], Pfarla → didn't made[18], Farell37 → didn't recorded[19]
  • Same words mistakenly used: Pfarla→ edition (meant to say edit) [20], TechnicianGB→ edition (meant to say edit) [21], TechnicianGB→ edition (meant to say edit) [22], Pfarla→ edition (meant to say edit) [23], TechnicianGB→ editions (meant to say edits)[24]
  • The Almeria climate saga. This is probably the most prominent example of pushing the sockmaster's POV through various forms of sock cooperation. The collaboration between all suspected socks here is nearing a decade and notice how it involves all socks at different time intervals (more seldom at same time intervals when no opposing editor is editing). Effectively tight patrolling of the article. Note that when pushed by an editor's RS contributions sometimes the socks stop for a while (in order not to draw suspicion) only to return again and push the completely snowless/milder in Europe agenda by trying to bury or trivialize RSs [25] [26]
  • Cooperation to try and kill or bury RSs that challenge POV. Notice both the cooperation between socks and how when it's evident that updated RSs that challenge the hot Spain POV will replace the hotter weatherboxes, the suspected sock appears as Deus ex machina in a seemingly friendly way to suggest to keep also the old weatherbox (which has hotter means). [27] [28] [29]
  • Chasing after other mild European areas articles to push POV . This one is also a prominent characteristic of the sockmaster personality. Other mild areas in Europe would almost certainly see the presence of these socks trying to systematically attack, patrol or generally abuse any hint or RS of a possibility another European area might be milder than Spain in any capacity. [30],[31]


(Redacted). This user has a reputation of heavily abusing various meteo forums by creating multiple fake accounts to make Spain appear as hotter/milder/less snowy especially compared to other mild European countries and this has spilled over to wikipedia for some time now. More info here: (Redacted). It has taken me a year of monitoring for behavioral SPI evidence for this so I am hoping for your review. Now there might be a tone of more socks that I am simply unable to detect on my own. However, I will continue to watch out for more. Weatherextremes (talk) 23:13, 30 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

P.S

I am including this at a later stage because I believe it is related to the case and may potentially help shed some more light when the admins run the full behavioral analysis on the suspected sock puppets. So as you can notice above my links 35,36,37 are no longer accessible. It appears that after I posted this SPI the sockmaster has triggered some kind of filter on that forum (probably by reporting the links) and now all posts containing the terms (Redacted) etc are all censored in that website.

It's a pity since these threads had extensive research by various members on the sneaky and abusive behavior of the sockmaster in wikipedia throughout the years. Going by memory alone there were at least 4 watch threads on the sockmaster (one of which was over 30 pages) detailing the abuse on various Spanish and other European climate articles in wiki. They also detailed various fake wiki and other forum accounts that the sockmaster was using over the years. In fact these posts on the various language, spelling and behavioral similarities mentioned by different forum users helped me write the SPI as they provided crucial tips that helped me identify and connect the suspected socks by going back and examining thoroughly their edits as you can see from the provided diffs above. I have managed and salvaged a few screenshots as you can see here: (Redacted). Weatherextremes (talk) 00:49, 13 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Comments by other users[edit]

Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.
@Weatherextremes Are you randomly accusing me being one of these users or these users being the same person? Sorry, but this is unacceptable and you're already disrespecting me.
I already told you that I'm from Portugal and I have no idea where this Wiki editor is from. Technian is from the Netherlands with Spanish descent. I've always been a Wikipedia reader, but in September last year I also decided to start editing several articles, especially on the climate topic. If you really don't believe that, I can even offer to have Wikipedia administrators look at my account in detail so you can see that I am not one of those 3 users.
Making Spain hotter than it actually is in those articles you mentioned? These articles: Almeria, Tabernas Desert, Seville, Córdoba and Climate of Europe they say this information like "hottest summers in Europe" or "the hottest city in Europe" or "never registered temperature under 0ºC" or "driest region in Europe", but they cite reliable sources that specifically say this. Removing this content with RS without a valid reason is disrespectful. Putting RS like AEMET and citing other reliable sources that show that it is the place with the hottest summers in Europe, as far as I know, is not against Wikipedia's policies. Furthermore, this data comes from AEMET OpenData and if you think it is unreliable, try to find a reliable source that says AEMET OpenData is unreliable or says that data is raw. I have already said and I will repeat again that the data from AEMET OpenData coincides with that on the AEMET website. And what sense would it make to add a raw climate data on a national meteorology institute, which is the most reliable source for a country's climate data.
The Evrotas Valley: I think you're the one trying to make the Evrotas Valley much hotter than it actually is. You added a second weatherbox which comes from non oficial hydrometeorological station of NOA and this hydrometeorological station is not on official NOA website, so its date is very likely not to be revised (and the fact is that it doesn't even say that the data is reviewed, whereas in AEMET OpenData, it says precisely when the data is reviewed and adjusted.). The same applies to Monemvasia, which you said recorded the highest minimum temperature in continental Europe, without citing a reliable source and the same for the lowest temperature recorded. Also, don't forget that you added Lindos in this article (climate of Europe) without even adding a source that it really is the hottest place in Europe.
The problem is that you remove content that is properly cited with RS. These Greek regions that I mentioned and you edited, these sources are not reliable/do not say what was written on Wikipedia, such as the case of Monemvasia where the source did not mention anything about being the highest minimum temperature in continental Europe. Farell37 (talk) 00:49, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you for replying. Your edits show strong behavioral similarities with the other accounts I have described so I have my doubts. Weatherextremes (talk) 00:57, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I hope that your doubts are resolved and that you can really see that I have nothing to do with these accounts that you mentioned. The only thing I've been doing lately is putting RS on these Wikipedia articles and you are removing this content without a valid reason, simply saying that the source is unreliable, without proof it. Right now I feel disrespected by a random accusation! Farell37 (talk) 01:15, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
It goes without saying that in case you are not a sock account I am sorry for this. However, I feel compelled to ask a review from the community because the behavioral similarities seem very pronounced. Weatherextremes (talk) 01:38, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
There's no problem with that, I just felt a little disrespected by an accusation and it was a bit of a surprise to be honest. And it's even natural for you to feel that way, given that you have 3 accounts editing spanish climate articles with some in common. It is important to keep in mind that the fact Spain is an populous country and one of the most visited in the world (does not mean that it is one of the best, as this is subjective), greatly influences the fact that there are more people editing these articles about Spain's climate.
Either way, if you need administrators to answer your doubts, that's fine. Farell37 (talk) 01:47, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Finally, I want to highlight my edits made to the Portuguese Wikipedia, in which the topics cover the climate of several Spanish cities, a little of Portugal and other topics [35] None of these users edited several pages on the Portuguese Wikipedia, despite the topics I edit on Portuguese Wikipedia being similar to the English Wikipedia. Also, the Wiki Editor doesn't seem to be sock account either, as his edits seem fair. Furthermore, it has already covered several topics (in addition to the Spanish climate pages) relating to the climate of Greece, based on reliable sources, including the climate of Athens and stating that it is the hottest city in continental Europe, helping to improvise climate section of Athens. Farell37 (talk) 00:14, 3 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I agree. It seems this user has some kind of extreme obsession with another user (that seems to have been inactive for 2 years, but directly confronted him as I saw in the talk page of Seville based on "weatherextreme" edits, this is the only account that tries to make Greek places to look warmer than every other place in Europe and he always tries to delete other milder / warmer European places in Portugal, Spain or Italy to make Greece look hotter.
As he did in the examples you've provided. Thank you, as I didn't even know that. I have only seen the Climate of Europe discussion where I did directly engage.
As a Portuguese myself as well (I don't live in Portugal right now, but my location is not anyone's issue) I remember a Greek obsessed user in the biggest Portuguese Weather forum (MeteoPT) where he posted under the name "Mesogeiakos" and it seems it's exactly this "Weatherextremes" user in Wikipedia. Here is just a proof but we can search for hundreds:
https://www.meteopt.com/forum/topico/diversidade-climatica.4708/pagina-54
It seems someone else challenged him once or more times and he uses ourselves as his human shields. I have been editing Wikipedia for only 4 years and I don't have even 100 edits, but it seems everyone that puts a RS saying Greece / Athens is not the warmest place in Europe, this guy automatically takes it personal.
Please check the URL from above to see we are talking about the same guy. Now I understand everything. This guy is "Mesogeiakos" who has a very very long history in Portuguese and probably other European Climate Forums to vandalize and claim Greece is superior to every other country.
I am completely open to any "sockpuppet investigation" on my account, please do it, and check my used IPs, my email and everything. You will see how I have only used this account and no other one. That's all I have to say to defend myself which is even crazy as I don't even know why I have to defend myself against "personal vendetta" claims from third parties. WikiEditor1890 (talk) 11:15, 9 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Thats why he says that AEMET OpenData is not quality controled, because has warmer averages and refuses to accept that. Even a employee from AEMET says that this data will be updated when AEMET publishes the oficial data, but yet ignore this Farell37 (talk) 11:51, 9 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
  • Thank you for looking into it. Behaviorally there are strong similarities between all. If an admin could have a look on the behavioral evidence I provided I would be much obliged. I have been monitoring closely the accounts for a long time and I am fairly confident they are the same person. Again thank you for your time Weatherextremes (talk) 18:57, 6 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Hello, can I please know how to take action against this user who is always commiting personal attacks against me and other users such as Farell37 just as he has provided above? It seems he is mad because other users provide reliable sources that prove other European places are warmer than Greece, just as it happened in the page Climate of Europe.
    He started to come to my talk page to ask if I am some kind of sockpuppet related to Farell, now this... first of all, who is that Technicians account? Looking at his contribs that account was created in December 2012, I see its completely unblocked as well. My Wikipedia account was made in 2020 and I don't even have 100 edits, why would I need to be someone hiding under another nickname?
    For what it seems, this user (Weatherextremes) has some kind of persional obsession against that other user (TechnicianGB) given the fact his "proofs" are old discussions with the other user and he has literally proved to be knowing his name in other sites? If this is some kind of personal vendetta please don't user other people as your punching boxes. I have nothing else to say. And thank you @Farell37: for letting me know what this user has done. WikiEditor1890 (talk) 11:04, 9 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    I have also found this user is the one known as "Mesogeiakos" in several European Weather forums, where he has spent more than 15 years of his life trolling and trying to convince everyone that Greece is superior to every other place in Europe.
    Please see this link as a proof, but you can find hundreds, also in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and British forums.
    https://www.meteopt.com/forum/topico/diversidade-climatica.4708/pagina-54
    I have seen that he has been banned several times from Wikipedia as well, so he is a known troll in the Internet Weather Community. Thank you for accusing me of being a sockpuppet as I have just discovered you are the Wikipedia account of Mesogeiakos. Aa for administration, please double check everything in my account - my edits, IPs and etc to see if I am related to other user or not. I have never been disruptive and I have never made any edit wars. In 4 years I have barely done 70 edits. WikiEditor1890 (talk) 11:27, 9 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Thank you so much for information! I didn't know that, because i do not use any meteo forums. I only started to use wikipedia in september 2023. Now I know that he has such POV for trying to make Greece the warmest country in Europe or has the warmest areas in Europe. Thats not how it works! Maybe we should contact an administrator if he keep accusing us being de same person. Or a checkuser just to proof we are not the same person. Farell37 (talk) 12:06, 9 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Hello and thank you for answering. I have politely asked if you are related to these accounts. Seeing that you denied it I had to ask the community for a review since the behavioral traits between all the accounts seem very pronounced. I for one do not have an intention to attack anyone but I have my doubts on whether you are all related. It goes without saying that If you turn out not to be a sock then my apologies are in order. Weatherextremes (talk) 18:38, 10 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    But even after the checkuser says that we are not the same person and you continue to accuse us of being the same person, it is disrespectful and you can see that both he and I are uncomfortable with the situation. It is highly unlikely for an innocent person to be accused of being a sock puppet as you can see here [36] I've never seen someone continue to accuse us of being the same person in other sockpuppets after the checkuser says we're not the same. I also think that you wouldn't want to do the same to you, to accuse you of being the same person, after the checkuser claims that you are not. If you continue to accuse us of being the same person, you give me no choice but to actually contact an administrator. I'm not the only one uncomfortable with this, the other user, @WikiEditor1890:, is too.
    Therefore, this is unnecessary and quite uncomfortable and this all started after the IP address added the Montoro value to the Climate of Europe article, coming from AEMET OpenData, which has extremely hot summer temperature values. You were the only one who was bothered by these values ​​and as there was no one else in your favor, you decided to randomly accuse the two of us and the IP address that we are all the same person, just because it was against your POV. Furthermore, these values ​​were kept in the article, because you did not prove why AEMET OpenData is not reliable. Farell37 (talk) 19:34, 10 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Hi the checkuser admin run CU check. The behavioral analysis takes much more time. Hopefully when the admins take a deeper look and if you all turn out to be unrelated I am more than happy to apologise for the misunderstanding. Weatherextremes (talk) 19:47, 10 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Agora foi a gota de água! Quero que o Weatherextremes leve a sério aquilo que estou a dizer: eu tenho que chegar a um ponto de falar em português (de Portugal atenção) para provar que eu não sou ele? O Wiki Editor também não e o checkuser tinha dito que ele provavelmente estava relacionado com o TechnicianGB porque a localização dele (do WikiEditor) é próxima à localização do Technician. Ele é português também e tenho estado a comunicar com ele por e-mail e ele trabalha e vive fora de Portugal (não vou dizer qual a cidade por questões de privacidade).
    Isto está a chegar a um ponto muito extremo. Só espero que o administrador faça um bom trabalho e veja a minha localização ou algo do género para provar que eu não tenho nada a ver com esse usuário de TechnicianGB, que pela página dele é holandês e vive em Alicante.
    Weatherextremes a meu ver está a ter um comportamento passivo-agressivo e a evidência é clara. Ele de maneira indireta quer que nós sejamos banidos da Wikipédia por estarmos a pôr fontes confiáveis que mostram porque aquela região de Espanha é mais quente do que muitas regiões da Grécia ou não sei que? Totalmente inaceitável. Não vou aceitar as desculpas depois de tudo isto passar! És a única pessoa que está a ter problemas com os artículos que eu edito. Quero que isto seja levado muito a sério e gostava mesmo de fazer uma queixa, porque ele continua a insistir e a acusar que nós todos somos a mesma pessoa, mesmo após o checkuser dizer que não tenho nada a ver com tudo isto. Mesmo com base na geolocalização, ele continua a achar que somos todos a mesma pessoa ou que todas essas contas são a mesma pessoa? E ainda dizes que não estás a atacar a mim ou ao Wiki Editor?
    Eu não aguento mais isto! Se faz favor administradores, façam o que tenham a fazer, mesmo que isso envolva ver o meu IP para verem que não tenho nada a ver com isto (façam o mesmo com o Wiki Editor, ele mesmo também quer).
    (Use translator If you want it. I had to talk in portuguese to proof even more that I am not that guy) Farell37 (talk) 04:16, 13 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments[edit]

  • There isn't a huge amount to go on within the CU window. Pfarla is stale. Based on geolocation, I'd say that TechnicianGB and WikiEditor1890 are  Possible to one another, but I wouldn't go any stronger than that on the technical data - behavioural evaluation would be needed to establish any connection. Farell37 is Red X Unrelated to all of the above. No comment on the IP. Girth Summit (blether) 13:06, 6 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
  • @Girth Summit: I received an e-mail from TechnicianGB a bit ago. That should give you current CU data if you wish to run a check.--Bbb23 (talk) 16:44, 13 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
    Yeah, I'm sticking with  Possible. They're in roughly the same location, but no overlap on IP ranges, and different UAs. Girth Summit (blether) 17:32, 13 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
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