Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets/Koov (3rd)

The following discussion is an archived debate of the case of suspected sockpuppetry. Please do not modify it. No further edits should be made to this page. All edits should go to the talk page of this case. If you are seeing this page as a result of an attempt to open a new case of sockpuppetry of the same user, read this for detailed instructions.

Koov (3rd)[edit]

Suspected sockpuppeteer

Koov (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log)

Suspected sockpuppets

Report submission by

Ha! (talk) 00:38, 18 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Evidence

For 71.249.144.88

The edits made by 71.249.144.88 changes the same material that User:Koov and the other IP socks he's used did, or uses a similar comment style. (71.249.144.88 [1], Koov [2] [3]) (71.249.144.88 [4], Koov [5]) (71.249.144.88 [6], Koov [7][8])
71.249.144.88 is a New York Verizon account (same as a previous sock)
See Wikipedia:Suspected_sock_puppets/Koov#User:Koov, Wikipedia:Suspected_sock_puppets/Koov_(2nd), the reasoning is the same

For 68.161.114.146

68.161.114.146 is a New York Verizon IP, as was a previous sock 70.23.72.175
68.161.114.146 is trying to remove the same material from Srđa Trifković [9] that Koov was [10] [11] and the same material from Template:Foreign relations of the Soviet Union [12] that the above IP I also suspect as a sock (71.249.144.88) is trying to remove [13]

For 68.161.102.240

New York Verizon IP
Edited only the same articles that Koov edited
Same changes (doesn't like the image in Isabel or frontpagemag in Srđa Trifković)

For

see reasons below in "comments"

For 68.161.68.66

New York Verizon IP
The articles edited by 68.161.68.66 are the same as the ones edited by Koov, except for one
Same edit summary style when an edit summary is left (e.g "please", okay and exclamations)
Removing same information of the Russian Federation&diff=214700376&oldid=214591655 as Koov of the Russian Federation&diff=206761015&oldid=206666623 was on Template:Presidents of the Russian Federation and leaving identical (and unique) edit summary of the Russian Federation&diff=prev&oldid=214700376 as Koov of the Russian Federation&diff=206761015&oldid=206666623. and as a previous sock of Koov of the Russian Federation&diff=210805795&oldid=210776704. This is either Koov or someone taking the time to go find his previous edit summary way down the page and copy and paste it when leaving their own edit summary.

For 70.23.72.190

New York Verizon IP address
Editing same articles that Koov did (Template:Presidents of the Russian Federation) and the 68.161.114.146 sock above did (Template:Supreme Soviet Chairmen). The other article edited is Template:United Russia Leaders which neither Koov nor any already identified other sock of his edited, but is the same type of article Koov edits (he has firm ideas on the use of flags and seals in articles and templates)
The first edit summary of 70.23.72.190 of the Russian Federation&diff=prev&oldid=214930464 identifies this IP as Koov "I have told you guys several times already. Please remove these now!!!. Only show the current Presidents. Not the Vice Presidents or the Acting Presidents ever!!!". a) I've told you before means Koov or his 68.161.x.x or 149.4.x.x range has told us before, not just in this article but in others b) the exclamation marks are an indication it's Koov c) the words used are the same as Koov ("told" [14], "guys" [15], exclamations [16]). Also the use of "now!!!" is the same.

Note that there's not really anything to be done with respect to this IP. Template:Presidents of the Russian Federation has already been protected. I'm just adding this to demonstrate (because I don't think he'll be stopping anytime soon) that he uses the 70.x.x.x New York Verizon IP range as well as the 68.161.x.x NY Verizon IP range and 149.4.x.x range already established

For 68.161.64.237

New York Verizon IP address
Same articles (only 2) that Koov and his socks edited
Similar edit summary commenting syle (exclamations)
Wants the same 3 political parties removed from Template:Russian political parties that his other socks did (see the article history and check the diff of each 68.161.x.x (including one already proven Koov sock) and 149.4.x.x IP)
Wants the russian flag rather than presidential standard of the Russian Federation&diff=206761015&oldid=206666623 in Template:Presidents of the Russian Federation, which is a comon theme of Koov's (one example is of the Russian Federation&diff=208352033&oldid=208137349. There are many more though)
Doesn't want acting presidents in Template:Presidents of the Russian Federation [17]), another common theme of Koov's (one example is [18])

Comments

So far I don't see anything truly nasty or silly in the edits of the two named IPs. From actual sockpuppets of Koov wouldn't you expect something worse than this? My quick inspection of Superpower suggested it might need semi-protection, but I imagine that others will request that if it's needed. This doesn't rule out the possibility that your diffs show nationalistic edit-warring. Sometimes people who aren't sockpuppets and have strange views just agree with one another. EdJohnston (talk) 21:46, 20 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yea, it is all fairly circumstantial. I should have waited until it got worse. Ha! (talk) 22:19, 20 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm fairly sure in my own mind that the 68.161.x.x range of IP's that are editing the same articles he edited (or his 149.x.x.x socks edited) are him. An example is 68.161.116.144 (compare it's comment starting "Hey Quarl" with any of Koov's that start with "Hey", and the common articles Isabel, Srđa Trifković, Template:Foreign relations of Russia Superpower and the common changes (with Koov or with the 149.x.x.x range) on those articles). There are more and the combination of New York IPs, same articles, some of the same type of commenting and the same material removed is enough for me, but as you say, the edits aren't particularly silly or agressive and it's possible they're not him. Also, just because he's blocked doesn't necessarily mean any edits he might do are bad. I'd say I've jumped the gun with this SSP. Ha! (talk) 02:44, 23 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hello Ha! Thanks for the new data. On the strength of it, I'm going ahead and blocking the two 68.161 IPs that were most recently active. I suspect he starts over with a new one in the 68.161.* series every day, so we'll need to be patient. It also means we don't have to block the old ones; they probably will not be used again. I semi-protected three of the templates that he frequents. EdJohnston (talk) 02:59, 25 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Though I see that new IP accounts keep being added to the header of this report, I doubt that it is useful to keep blocking them. (They are used at most one day each). It makes more sense to keep on semi-protecting the articles and templates that Koov takes an interest in. This can continue unless the local editors feel that the semi-protection is too intrusive. EdJohnston (talk) 00:08, 28 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Should I request semi protection (for Foreign relations of the Republic of Kosovo and maybe Diplomatic missions of Russia, edits by 68.161.68.101) here or at WP:RFPP? Ha! (talk) 04:17, 2 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Both are now semi-protected. EdJohnston (talk) 04:35, 2 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Conclusions

I'm closing this case. It looks like EdJohnston has concluded there is probably sock-puppeting by a banned user, which can be dealt with by semi-protecting the affected pages. If this needs to stay open longer, please reopen it. Shalom (Hello • Peace) 04:10, 3 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]