The sockmaster and IPs follow the same patterns of disruptive editing. This appears to have begun in late October, when JatBrand made this edit.[1] Following its removal, different IPs restored the content three times.[2][3][4] This resulted in JatBrand receiving a warning for suspected sockpuppetry.[5] However, they appear to have ignored this warning, since following the removal of this edit,[6] two more IPs successively restored it over the course of the last couple of days.[7][8]Alivardi (talk) 14:36, 3 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Editing while logged out is not sockpuppetry. The editor did not seem to try to avoid anything by logging out. However, they certainly deserve a punitive block for edit warring at Juna Padar. — kashmīrīTALK00:45, 7 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]
I have to disagree. Reverting a removed edit multiple times over the course several days while logged out does not seem like an honest mistake to me. Though I guess its a moot point if they're getting blocked for a separate reason anyway. Thanks. Alivardi (talk) 01:56, 7 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Seeing what's been happening to this page - all the page moves by socks - I will welcome JatBrand indeffed without further investigation, as another sock from the farm. — kashmīrīTALK17:37, 7 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Closing with no action taken. It's clear that those IP edits are from JatBrand, but there's not much that can be done at SPI. Blocking such a wide IP range is unfeasible, and blocking the individual IPs would be pointless. As for disruptive editing, yeah, probably, but SPI is the wrong place to pursue that. -- RoySmith(talk)15:10, 10 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Alleged master was topic banned by Bishonen on 6 January 2019 for incompetent pov-pushing on Koli-related articles. It looked almost as if they were trying to incorporate the contents of a Koli-related blog in WP.
Andyudeydry started editing on 8 January and has a similar obsession. There is some article cross-over, and edits such as [9] vs [10] are strikingly similar. This and this are examples of similar intent on a relatively obscure article, as is this and this.
I'm less sure of Suttoo Deshmukh, who began editing on 21 January, but unless there is some off-wiki co-ordination or ranting on a community forum going on, it is unusual to have three new accounts all concentrating on Koli stuff. Sitush (talk) 04:37, 27 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Started editing after the master was banned earlier this month. Crossover of edits with the master and similar obsession with Koli people. Sitush (talk) 04:59, 27 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, I think this needs a sweep. TonyBallioni didn't dig deep due to it being late where he is but, for example, The Yash Thakor has made few edits but to similar articles. - Sitush (talk) 05:18, 27 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Intense interest in matters relating to the Koli community, eg: creation of poorly sourced articles such as Mahadeo Kolis and Babaria Clan. (Poorly sourced because the cites are to unreliable sources, as Thakor Sumant Sinhji Jhala tended to use). Sitush (talk) 00:25, 1 September 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Just like the sockmaster & all the previous socks, the suspected socks edit with mobile and use VisualEditor.
In May 2019, at Juna Padar, Thakoreji (blocked sock) added Khasia Koli claim & a Raj-era source. And in December 2019, Jatbrand fought a long edit war to retain that claim in the article – [11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], etc. – till the article got protected. Two months later in February 2020, AcharyaDevanandrestored the same Khasia Koli bit, and started another long edit war to retail it: [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], etc. One week later, PawanjiGupta reinstated the same claim: [24]. And last month, things came full circle when PawanjiGupta readded the blocked sock's citation with the same formatting: compare this edit of the sock Thakoreji with this edit of PawanjiGupta.
In August 2019, at Nai (caste), LastofWords (latest blocked sock) removed a detail related to Brahmins with a misleading edit summary, viz. "According to reference": [25]. But their edit got reverted. In November 2019, Jatbrands started tinkering with the same line with same misleading edit summary, i.e. "According to reference": [26]. And this year, PawanjiGupta mangled the same portion of the sentence with the same misleading edit summary, i.e. "According to reference": [27]. And then, just like the sock, they removed that portion: [28].
In December 2018, the sockmaster added a Muslim Koli-related claim with a particular set of sources: [29]. One year later, JatBrand added the same claim with the exact same sets of sources & formatting: [30].
MulberryMukne (blocked sock) used to mention "Added to categories" in edit summaries when they were actually adding categories to that page: [31], [32], [33]. PawanjiGupta uses the same edit summary: [34], [35], [36], [37], etc.
LastofWords (latest blocked sock) used to mention "cleaned" in the edit summaries while removing the unsourced content, e.g. [38], [39], etc. PawanjiGupta ([40], [41], [42], etc.) and AcharyaDevanand ([43]) do the same thing.
LastofWords (latest blocked sock) on getting a warning: Okkay And Thnx; PawanjiGupta on getting warning: Ok and thnx.
At Jadav, in November 2019, Jatbrandreverted an anonymous editor to reinstate the Koli-related details. Four months later, AcharyaDevanandreverted another anonymous editor to reinstate the same details. Similarly, at Jagtap, both JatBrand & AcharyaDevanand edit warred to replace a particular detail with a Koli-related claim: JatBrand & AcharyaDevanand
At Dalvi, in November 2019, JatBrand removed details of a ruler from the lead and added "Maharashtrian clan" in the lead: [54]. Two months later, AcharyaDevanand edit warred to remove/reinstate the same detail: [55], [56], [57], etc.
Many times, all three suspects mention just Improvement in the edit summaries without giving actual detail of the edit: JatBrand, AcharyaDevanand, and PawanjiGupta have used that edit summary 31, 16, 51 times respectively.
Usernames are also along the same lines of previous socks: compare JatBrand with Jatland and PawanjiGupta with Tripathijidubey.
All three suspects Redirected Koli clan articles to Koli people without blanking their content:
I can go on and on in listing their similarities. But, in short, like the sockmaster & the previous socks, they are just focussed on promoting the Koli people by using unreliable Raj-era sources, along with blanking details related to Rajputs and Jats from articles.
I have blocked JatBrand based on behavioral evidence. I had deciphered that JatBrand = PawanjiGupta a few days back but had not blocked because they had not edited simultaneously and thus I was not sure if the use of the two accounts was illegitimate. Given the prior socking that is no longer in question. Abecedare (talk) 03:40, 18 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Clerk assistance requested: Does Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/JatBrand need to be merged into this one? Other than that, this SPI is ready to be archived. Abecedare (talk) 03:45, 18 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]
New account recreating G5'd article Sord Dynasty. Additionally, the account edits from mobile using advanced mode or the visual editor, same as the master. Requesting CU to confirm. Kb03 (talk) 14:21, 8 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]
If we were not so backlogged, it might be worth investing more effort in this one, but at this point, Moccanua hasn't edited in 2 months, so I'm just going to close this. -- RoySmith(talk)03:42, 28 March 2021 (UTC)[reply]
The sock master's modus operandi is to first make Koli-related made-up/unreliable claims and then to edit war with the help of his multiple socks as well as an IP hopper. He always edits with mobile using advanced mode or VisualEditor. The first 8 digits of the IP hopper's range always looks like "2401:4900:". His latest suspected socks as well as the IP hopper have resumed doing what the previous socks have been doing for years.
As I have noted in my last SPI, his latest socks like Thakoreji [67], AcharyaDevanand [68], PawanjiGupta [69], etc. and the IP hopper [70] were introducing the "Khasia Koli" claim using an unreliable Raj-era source and were edit warring over it. His latest suspected socks are doing exactly the same. First the same IP hopper added the same claim with the same source [71], and then Suiot (see [72], [73], [74], etc.), Dalip Singh Rana (see [75], [76], etc.), and the IP hopper (e.g. see [77], [78], [79], etc.) have been edit warring over it.
As I have mentioned in my last SPI, his large number of older socks as well as the latest socks like AcharyaDevanand ([80]) & JatBrand ([81]) have been adding the same "Kshatriya Koli Thakordas" & "Khant Kolis" claim at Ambliara State, along with edit warring over it. The latest suspects have done the same, e.g. see this edit of Dalip Singh Rana & this edit of Suiot. And the IP hopper have also been doing the same thing since the last three years: 2019, 2020, 2021, etc.
Muslim Makwana is another article targeted by their socks. The latest sock Ramhet Mahaur added a version ladden with Koli-related claims with this edit, but they got reverted. And now Ramhet Mahaur version was reinstated by Suiot with this edit.
Latest sock Jatbrand readded the "Kshatriya Baria Kolis" claim with this edit at Sathamba and both Suiot (see [82], [83], [84], etc.) and Dalip Singh Rana (see [85] & [86]) have been edit warring to keep those exact words in the article.
Holy sleeper checks, Batman! I'm quite thankful that I added the ability to set the same tag on everyone in spihelper. Blocked and tagged the confirmed socks. Closing. GeneralNotability (talk) 02:08, 29 March 2021 (UTC)[reply]
I don't understand what's suspicious about the name. Can you be more specific. Also, what specifically about the edits to the Koli articles shows they're a sock?
Additional information needed. In order to facilitate and expedite your request, please provide diffs to support your case. Please give two or more diffs meeting the following format:
At least one diff is from the sockmaster (or an account already blocked as a confirmed sockpuppet of the sockmaster), showing the behaviour characteristic of the sockmaster.
At least one diff per suspected sockpuppet, showing the suspected sockpuppet emulating the behaviour of the sockmaster given in the first diff.
In situations where it is not immediately obvious from the diffs what the characteristic behaviour is, a short explanation must be provided. Around one sentence is enough for this. -- RoySmith(talk)18:29, 28 September 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Pajeaalii created an article over redirect at Bapuji_Bhangare, a page which was previously created at a slightly different title by a previous sock. The account went on to create (by page move) a redirect from that prior title, for good measure. The other two accounts in Group 1 have only edited Bapuji_Bhangare.
Machlax created Chunwalia_Koli, an article previously created at Chunvalia Koli by prior socks. Other socks in group 2 then edited the page (and that page alone).
Group 3 accounts have focused on Mahadev_Kolis and Yesaji Kank, also within the same sphere of interest with the same poor sourcing.
Kripalsinh Kathuria has created-by-removal-of-redirect other Koli-related articles with poor sourcing (e.g. 1, 2), as has Junglasin (e.g. 1 - this article was edited by a prior sock), and Rashmi_Majumdar (e.g. 1). Drishti_Luthra has edited solely in Koli-related areas, adding poorly sourced material, and seems to follow Thakor's pattern of moving pages about.
All socks use the advanced mobile editor, in common with prior ones. Requesting CheckUser given the history of sleepers. firefly ( t · c ) 14:53, 19 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]
I have checked concurrently with GN, who is doing a much more detailed review of the technical evidence. I have limited my checks, and results, to the reported accounts and confirmed on absolute matches only. Suffice to say, these accounts are all related and linked in some way.
I may need therapy after this check. Everyone in the box below is Likely or better to everyone else based on technical data and singleminded interest in the Koli:
I note that behavior suggests there may be more than one person operating these accounts - some differences in how they do edit summaries, for example, and some do the redirect-hijack trick while others do not. Technical evidence also indicates some kind of coordinated creation of sleeper accounts, so it's hard to write this off as a bunch of people with a common interest. Many of the accounts are confirmed to each other, but I really need to put this case down and step away for a while. Going to relist for a second opinion since there's a lot of accounts here - ping me for the fingerprints I was using. GeneralNotability (talk) 16:30, 19 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Followup: I am willing to call the following lists Confirmed within their groups based on specific technical evidence:
Group 2 is also largely Confirmed to the zero-edit sleeper corps above (there are two distinct groups in the sleepers, but I'm confident they are all related). As a side note, observant editors might notice a pattern in many of the sleeper accounts' names. My summary of the overall CU results is "there's probably a few distinct people here, but everyone is Confirmed to somebody else acting suspiciously similarly and everyone is Likely to each other in a way that suggests this is not just an innocent group of editors with common interests. I've handed out a rather large number of blocks, but I'd appreciate another pair of eyes on the unblocked accounts. GeneralNotability (talk) 02:57, 21 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]
I have reviewed the following previously unblocked accounts and confirmed them all: