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.

Suspected sockpuppeteer

Jsmorse47 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log)

Suspected sockpuppets

Cochese8 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log)
Closercate1 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log)
Jlangley3007 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log)
Gerty1 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · page moves · block user · block log)

Evidence

Evidence that Closercate1 and Cochese8 are the same user is pretty straightforward. The former account was registered and used almost exclusively during a 3RR block of Cochese8 who was edit warring to maintain an external link on the Logo page. Closercate1's sole contributions are to that dispute and to AfD nominations which seemed to be interested in retaliation against Jkatzen (talk · contribs) The link in question is code-interactive.com/thinker/a112.html, a website maintained [1] by Joseph Morse whose registrant adress is cochese8@excite.com . User Jsmorse47 has identified himself as the owner if the website (see for instance this edit). Joseph Morse is a logo designer (or so his website claims). Interestingly, Cochese8 also claims to be a logo designer [2].

It's at the very least troubling that Cochese8 and Jsmorse47 have never edited simultaneously despite both having quite a few edits. Both accounts have been used for internal spamming to get support for their cause. The account for Cochese8 dates back to August 23rd when Jsmorse47 started having problems with Wmahan removing his EL on the Logo article [3] and has essentially contributed exclusively in relation to that edit war. He was briefly blocked and returned only to post this on his talk page.

I should also mention that Jsmorse47 has invited wikipedia users (e.g.[4]) whose content is deleted to contribute to his own wiki [5]. Regular contributors include a user cochese8 [6] and a Jsmorse47 [7]. There's also a whole list of IPs that seem to all be from the San Diego area and with the same basic purpose of promoting Mr Morse's website e.g. 66.27.121.200 (talk · contribs · WHOIS), 66.91.227.161 (talk · contribs · WHOIS), 68.107.52.12 (talk · contribs · WHOIS), 71.136.110.46 (talk · contribs · WHOIS). Pascal.Tesson 23:59, 2 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Some more evidence

• Several days after the similarity was raised, Jsmorse47 claimed that Cochese8 is "a friend" in the offline world.[8]. However, he also said "I contributed to the article", while he is almost certainly the sole author[9], and falsely claimed that "I replaced the link, but someone ELSE added it before me"; in fact, he first added the link in June 2005.[10]
• I believe Jsmorse47 inadvertently admitted using an anon IP to add links to his own site. See [11] where he said "I did that, I just didn't log in", referring to 66.27.121.200 (talk · contribs). This isn't very recent but may indicate a willingness to use sockpuppets. Likewise for the single-purpose account Gerty1 (talk · contribs) supporting one of Jsmorse47's links.
• Cochese8 created an account at a convenient time; the first edit by the account was restoring Jsmorse47's link after I reverted its addition by an anon. The edit summary said "this link has been here for quite a while before someone altered it". One of Cochese8's few edits not relating to Logo is to Brand[12]. A link to Jsmorse47's site was previously added to that article before I removed it.
• According to Jsmorse47's website, his brother is Eric Morse, who appears to be Ermorse (talk · contribs) on Wikipedia based on contribution history. Ermorse "voted" to keep an article about Jsmorse47's self-published book and website at Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Evolution Diet.
• Closercate1 created an account and nominated the two articles for deletion after Jsmorse47 suggested that I and another editor do so, and we did not immediately respond.[13][14] ―Wmahan. 01:48, 3 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
• At the off-wiki site bevnet.com there are comments made by a user Cochese8 using the IP addresses 71.136.91.6 and 71.136.60.82. These are in the same ppp-*.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net (San Diego) pool of IP addresses as 71.136.57.37 (talk · contribs · WHOIS), which Jsmorse47 used to make a comment while logged out. An example of "Cochese8" promoting Jsmorse47's book, unrelated to Logo: [15]. ―Wmahan. 19:32, 3 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Comments

• I have to say that I became aware of these user's existence when I answered a request for a second opinion made on the Wikiproject Spam talk page. I have taken part in the Logo dispute but I hope it will be clear that my intention here is not to get any sort of revenge or final victory. I thought this conflict would just go away after the 3RR block and the obvious failure of this link to garner support on the Logo talk page. Evidently it has not and so I thought it made sense to open this case. Pascal.Tesson 23:59, 2 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
• I have also been involved in disputes with both users, and I won't comment except to allow others to draw their own conclusions from the evidence I added. If one or more of the accounts is operated by Jsmorse47's brother, as mentioned above, I suppose that would not meet the definition of sockpuppetry. ―Wmahan. 01:59, 3 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
• Evidence is compelling. I'd add User:Jlangley3007 as a probable sockpuppet of Mr. Morse also based on that user's few contributions, 1st edit date, writting style and argumentative nature. I added him to list above. -- I@n 04:25, 3 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
• Just a note: I had to edit the URL given for Jsmorse's website. It has just been blacklisted so it was now impossible for me to save the page without doing so! Pascal.Tesson 06:54, 3 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Conclusions

Blocked. If they are not sockpuppets, then they are certainly meatpuppets. Iolakana•T 19:48, 3 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

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