There is no Cabal
If I have made a mistake of any kind, please let me know so we can discuss it.
I swing between periods of extreme activity and inactivity on Wikipedia. My apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

i confused with you

I have heard from many sources that valwood is hated.

it is not irrelevant and you had no right to take it down.
@Cailloudabeast: Please read WP:V and WP:NPOV, two integral Wikipedia policies. We need reliable sources, not just hearsay, before we can insert information into articles. Moreover, calling schools "snobby," "obnoxious," "stuck up," and "racist" is a clear breach of the latter policy which I cited above. If someone simply wrote that about another person, it would also be considered insulting, and would have to be taken down; that would fall under the WP:BLP policy. Thanks, GABHello! 22:27, 4 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Dragonfruit

I agree with you, broadly speaking, that generalizations are bad. However, dragonfruit is excessively nasty and that's the generalization that proves the rule. Please have mercy. Bad Dragonfruit Yuck (talk) 22:15, 6 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@Bad Dragonfruit Yuck: I like your name, but please use your editing powers for good rather than adding joke content. Thanks. GABHello! 22:17, 6 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
I resent the implication that my fiery denunciation of dragonfruit was anything less than gravely serious and almost morbidly sincere in its convictions. That said, how about we compromise and call it "provocative content"? Bad Dragonfruit Yuck (talk) 22:20, 6 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Well, that seems fair enough. If you could add some less-provocative, sourced content to the article to improve it, however, I'm sure it would be appreciated. GABHello! 22:22, 6 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Worth persuing?

Hi GAB. Thanks for adding that evidence to the The kyle 3 SPI. Since you seem to be good at that sort of thing, do you think you could have a look at the edits of another, more subtle potential sockpuppet whom I've been watching quietly bias a whole bunch of articles for a while now?

The suspected sockpuppeteer here is a well-known Palestine-Israel POV-pusher and system-gamer and the recipient of a whole bunch of sanctions in this area. Unusually, the master is neither blocked nor sanctioned and I suspect this is either a new sock created to avoid previous scrutiny, or a throwaway sock intended to eventually end up topic banned without affecting the master account.

Suspected sockpuppet table of evidence - selected examples
Suspected sockpuppet Suspected sockmaster Known old/alt account
Similar edit summary style [1][2][3] [4][5][6] [7][8]
Similar talk page discussion style [9][10][11] [12][13][14] [15][16]
Tendency to start a new section to
critique some aspect of an article
[17][18][19] [20][21] [22][23][24]

The suspected sockpuppeteer has been accused of sockpuppetry several times in the past. He is a technically inclined user who undoubtedly has the ability to evade a basic CheckUser. Thus I wanted to run the behavioural evidence past you to ensure it holds water before I submit an SPI. Do you think this is worth persuing? AnotherNewAccount (talk) 14:15, 7 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@AnotherNewAccount: Thanks for asking me, I'm honored. I'm about to take a look now. One thing I would like to say is that this subject area is doubtless frequented by a number of different masters... so any account that looks suspicious may indeed be a sock, but the actual master may be obscure. I am also not so well-versed on this account, and reading up on the background may take a while. I would also recommend you seek another editor's input besides my own, just to get a sense of how others see it. Anyhow, I'll elaborate on these particular fellows in a bit. GABHello! 20:38, 7 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
I'm digging the nice box, too; I should really try doing that in the future :) GABHello! 20:40, 7 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Well, I have reviewed the edits provided between the two suspects (columns 1 and 2), and I'm not sure if they are operated by the same person. While there may be a connection, I can't immediately discern it from the edits. The standard for behavioral evidence in SPI is fairly high -- and with good reason, too. You may want to get a second opinion, though. I recommend you consider a few different questions:
  • Which editors do each tend to quarrel with or insult?
  • What specific views are they most engaged in promoting?
  • What unique spelling quirks do each demonstrate?
  • What specific pages do they overlap on?
You also may want to look at noticeboard and talk page posts, as well as the reverts done by each editor (which can be very illustrative). Keep in mind that the sheer contentiousness of the subject area means that there will be lots of problematic editors arguing for any one POV... and yet they may be totally unrelated. Wishing you good luck, GABHello! 22:05, 7 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
GAB, thanks for having a look and giving your honest opinion. I wanted an opinion from someone outside the subject area. I honestly don't feel much affinity with any of the current crop of editors there, I'd describe every one as "difficult".
On reflection, it seems I was mistaken to suggest the "alt" account was that of the suspected sockmaster (an SPI was opened, but a connection was never proven). Since the suspected sock's editing is closer to the "alt", I'll quietly drop the suggestion for now, unless I see a further smoking gun. Thanks for maintaining the discretion here: I wanted to be very sure my claim had merit before I started naming names and pointing fingers at over at SPI. Thanks. AnotherNewAccount (talk) 20:12, 11 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Wikicology arbitration case opened

You recently offered a statement in a request for arbitration. The Arbitration Committee has accepted that request for arbitration and an arbitration case has been opened at Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Wikicology. Evidence that you wish the arbitrators to consider should be added to the evidence subpage, at Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Wikicology/Evidence. Please add your evidence by April 22, 2016, which is when the evidence phase closes. You can also contribute to the case workshop subpage, Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Wikicology/Workshop. For a guide to the arbitration process, see Wikipedia:Arbitration/Guide to arbitration. For the Arbitration Committee, MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 15:57, 8 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The message was sent using the case's MassMessage list. Unless you are a party, you may remove your name from the list to stop receiving notifications regarding the case.

ANI

Howdy, indeed IPs are allowed. But in time, you'll discover that that IP is a ban evader. Anyways, I'll leave it with you :) GoodDay (talk) 17:27, 8 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@GoodDay: I'm sorry, may I ask what you were referring to? Sorry. GABHello! 17:29, 8 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry, I thought you had restored the banned editors post at ANI. GoodDay (talk) 17:30, 8 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, I think that was an edit conflict. Whoops. Thanks anyways. GABHello! 17:31, 8 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Okie doke. FWIW, the IP-in-question is likely a banned editor. Its first edits being at ANI, are quite odd. GoodDay (talk) 17:39, 8 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
I've long supported a generic "up to no good" rationale for quickly blocking accounts and IPs whose first edits are to ANI causing trouble :) GABHello! 17:44, 8 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
My appeal to reason is doubtless troublesome. I'd even ended on a lighthearted joke; a true mark of a shit-stirrer. As for that being my first edit, my IP is dynamic... I'd much appreciate it if you were to stop snickering between yourselves about me. I might not edit under a name, but I still have such things as 'feelings'. 31.153.35.116 (talk) 17:59, 8 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
My apologies; was not aware of that. I am, perhaps, a little too quick to assume "sock." GABHello! 20:19, 8 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

A kitten for you!

For correctly identifying the amplified ultimate quack of ultimate destiny!

bonadea contributions talk 17:46, 8 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Mariasfixing

You are hilarious .... I almost choked on my food reading your comment. :-D --Cahk (talk) 19:09, 9 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Glad I could help. I need to stop loitering around SPI, though... GABHello! 19:10, 9 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Sockpuppet

What do you think of User talk:Sockpuppet of sockpuppet of sockpuppet of sockpuppet of sockpuppet of sockpuppet? Same person? Adam9007 (talk) 00:06, 10 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@Adam9007: for sure, unless that very obvious vandalism style is more common than I thought. I actually think I know an earlier (blocked) master, but that was a while ago. GABHello! 00:09, 10 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
I've seen the SPIs but I don't know if that was the first one. Adam9007 (talk) 00:12, 10 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
@Adam9007: It's not the first, but Wikipedia is made798 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log) is rather similar. Next time the case is opened again, I might ask to have the case moved to them. GABHello! 00:30, 10 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

2016

The Anti-Vandalism Barnstar
Thank you for the work that you do maintaining our encyclopedia. Regards, Adam9007 10 April 2016 (UTC)
Thanks! Much appreciated, besides the whole "impersonation" part. GABHello! 00:20, 10 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Um, this guy isn't me, he's a real impostor. Adam9007 (talk) 00:39, 10 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Yep, so I noticed :) GABHello! 00:55, 10 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Battle of Kursk

Hello: I see you were involved in bringing this article to GA some time ago. Recently, it has been undergoing some revamping and editing. You may want to take a look at the issues raised and work on the article accordingly. This is an important article, as you know, which receives a lot of views per year. Kierzek (talk) 13:18, 12 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Hm. I will be out for much of this week, but I can take a look afterwards. I may not be able to add much material (my sources are not so extensive on this particular battle) but I am happy to work on copyediting, general content issues, etc. Thanks for letting me know, and sorry I picked such a poor time to step away. GABHello! 22:51, 12 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

A cup of tea for you!

because i can Winterysteppe (talk) 16:27, 13 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Aww...

Sad to see you withdrew your Admin nom. You'd be a good one. Maybe next time. TimothyJosephWood 00:32, 19 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@Timothyjosephwood: We'll see... :) GABHello! 00:34, 19 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
So this seems to have happened. lol.TimothyJosephWood

Weird question

I'm currently putting together behavioral evidence in the SPI on Joseph Prasad as the user GeneralizationsAreGood12 (see SPI case and CU evidence here). Because the account has only three edits [25], I'm locking in on the user name chosen as it seems to be a play on your own user name. The comments at the user space regarding their choice of handle states, "I am against the idea of generalizations I just wanted to show something to someone that I don't like so I did my name like this" [26]. You and Prasad have 47 articles in common and several talk pages/noticeboards, and the like. I think it's very possible he's referring to you with the above statement so, in order to collect evidence, can you recall anywhere specifically the two of you have clashed significantly, to the point of where he would want to make a statement against you through a user name? Thanks,-- WV 02:35, 19 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Following up about the socks

Hi, just pinging again after I thought about your query. I found your short question on my talk a bit suspicious. I really hope I'm not overthinking it, but did want to elaborate and possibly clear some things up.

For this case, as you know, finding 1 sock at a time is not the way to go. The offending accounts have usually been right on the first page of the new users log (until today). It was 3 days ago (not 2) when I first found this user on Special:Log/newusers, and posted to WP:UAA with Special:Diff/715348167. The log showed about a dozen users with similar names (you know what I mean). He began attacking Oshwah and admins, including me with Special:Diff/715353858.

If you were wondering how I got a big batch (7) of non-English usernames, they had all individually just vandalized my talk page, e.g. Special:Diff/715957997. I observed one account's creation time, scrolled 18 hours back, and found about a dozen more. I think this guy has a grudge on me, especially my string of about 30 reversions on this sock and this sock a few days ago.

Recently for me, the other egregious extreme vandalism case is this, where we have a defecation-obsessed user from Maryland posting obscene pictures at WP:Sandbox (see its history and talk history) and attacking users who revert. That (ongoing) case has had me prepare for outstanding vandalism cases, such as this one. These past 2 weeks, I have sunk deep into vandal/new user patrol, more than I ever expected.

Let's please be transparent. If there's anything I should know that I don't, please don't keep it that way. Cheers, — Andy W. (talk · contrib) 04:21, 19 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]