Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Seraphim System/Archive

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Seraphim System

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

07 February 2019[edit]

Suspected sockpuppets[edit]


User:Zephrine seems to be fanatically determined to apply a very major makeover to article "Classical language" for reasons that he or she can't really explain too clearly. After User:Zephrine made some missteps (deleting a reference, then denying that he or she deleted a reference -- something which did not build confidence -- among other things), a cloud of newly-created accounts sprang up whose sole real purpose is to defend User:Zephrine and/or remake article "Classical language" in the way desired by User:Zephrine. User:MyThreeDayReprieve has zero edits other than defending User:Zephrine (see Special:Contributions/MyThreeDayReprieve). User:Tersanctus has one edit other than defending User:Zephrine (see Special:Contributions/Tersanctus). User:BrooklynStateOfMind has about 15 edits not devoted to defending User:Zephrine, or remaking "Classical language" according to Zephrine's wishes, but I'm afraid that that's "Merely corroborative detail, intended to give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative" at this point (as Gilbert and Sullivan would say), since BrooklynStateOfMind made their first-ever edit on 06:36, 5 February 2019 [1], or a little more than two hours after I started pushing back against Zephrine's radical surgery on the "Classical language" article (I posted my first message on User talk:Zephrine at 04:18, 5 February 2019). I don't really know what Checkuser is, or whether it would be desirable or useful in this case -- I just want Zephrine and Zephrine's cloud of sockpuppet accounts to stop messing with the "Classical language" article (and my user talkpage)... AnonMoos (talk) 15:17, 7 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Comments by other users[edit]

Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.

  • Responding to DoRD's comment below, I've had several conversations with both Shofet tsaddiq and Seraphim System. I'm very certain they're not the same person. The latter is on a self-imposed wikibreak, and would have no reason to edit as a sock, and doing so in any case I think would be quite out of character. I'm also surprised to see the former blocked, and there is zero crossover between them and Zephrine. Not sure what's going on here exactly, I'll look it over some more, but I just wanted to get that out of the way... --IamNotU (talk) 01:30, 18 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

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

I've put this case on hold. I may need to consult with another CheckUser.--Bbb23 (talk) 16:26, 7 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

  • Given the overall dearth of editors with usernames in Japanese and the names and behavior of the accounts, the ones at the bottom are matches for each other. Whether they are matches for Seraphim System, I can't say offhand, although Seraphim System also identifies as having some knowledge of Japanese and I'm guessing the IP range mentioned above is not near Japan. Thus my initial thought is that in spite of the comment by IamNotU above that there may be more than one puppeteer in the range. Meanwhile it's true that Seraphim System is under a self-requested block, but that seems to have been prompted by becoming the subject of an WP:AN discussion. Dekimasuよ! 17:59, 18 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]
  • Dekimasu, these accounts were all found on a narrow range, often editing back-to-back on the same handful of IP addresses, so the possibility that there are multiple sockmasters is effectively ruled out. Similar to the Japanese usernames, the adjacent usernames appear to me to be Arabic or Persian, but I just learned that they may be Ottoman Turkish. —DoRD (talk)​ 18:41, 18 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]
  • DorD, yes, my assumption was that the accounts had stronger connections to things in that region. And in some cases the socking is obvious, e.g. User:Zephrine and User:BrooklynStateOfMind at Classical language in the case that prompted this CU. But the English level also varies significantly among the accounts. Personally I would not guess that the difference in English levels was a performance, in comparing the normal contributions of Seraphim System with the discussion now ongoing at User talk:Shofet tsaddiq. As for the Japanese-named accounts, as a set they were doing beginner things like failing to sign talk page comments that many of the other socks did not engage in and that Seraphim System would not do naturally. So again, I know that you have access to more information than I do, but unless it's a particularly effective performance I still suspect there are multiple editors in the range. Perhaps a shared terminal? There is a variety of interests represented, but they seem to revolve pretty clearly around history, religion, and literature (and sometimes food). Dekimasuよ! 20:23, 18 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]
  • User:Shofet tsaddiq looks like a better writer in the article space than is being shown on that talk page, however. And I could probably be convinced that User:Caelum.empyreum and User:SemperDissolubilis are Seraphim System given the edit history and overlap at List of Latin legal terms, Greek Orthodox Church, and Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire, etc. Dekimasuよ! 20:51, 18 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]
  • (responding to ping) A cursory glance does not look particularly good for SS. The sockfarm was founded shortly after Seraphim System's block. On that note, SS was not on good terms with the project when they requested it (they retired in response to a permission being revoked, and they requested the blanket deletion of their hundreds of created articles to accompany their departure.) But more interestingly, I immediately noticed an unusual quirk that SS shares with the socks. They both show a persistent habit of typing their edit summaries before the auto-generated text.[2][3][4][5][6][7] These are not just flukes, it's a clear and persistent habit, the examples of which appear to be limitless. Writing edit summaries in that way is very unusual to see, and I have a hard time believing that it's all just a coincidence. I haven't had the time to do any in-depth behavioral analysis, and I would be happy to look into it more when I can. ~Swarm~ {talk} 01:57, 19 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]
  • This is a good point, but I wonder if it is not the result of default browser behavior related to the usual direction of writing in the area in question. Dekimasuよ! 03:52, 19 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]
  • Prior to finalizing this case today, I ran a followup check. In addition to reconfirming that these accounts are matches to one another, Seraphim System is no longer just technically similar to them, they are now appearing as an exact,  Confirmed match. After careful consideration of the behavioral evidence, I am thoroughly convinced that Zephrine and all of the other accounts belong to Seraphim System.  Clerk assistance requested: Please move this case accordingly and adjust the sock tags. Thanks. —DoRD (talk)​ 20:11, 19 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

04 April 2019[edit]

Suspected sockpuppets[edit]

See below. Bbb23 (talk) 13:48, 4 April 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Comments by other users[edit]

Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.


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

21 June 2020[edit]

Suspected sockpuppets[edit]


Well except the interest in ME food and some obscure articles seemingly on unconnected topics [8],[9],[10].They show the same interest like SS or his socks

He have also similar interest general in ethnography as evident from the diffs and the contibs

  • I have additional piece of evidence that I rather not reveal as per WP:BEANS but will send it to any clerk/admin that will be on this case. Shrike (talk) 18:25, 21 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • I understand that his past socks are stale but he usually creates sock farms so he will have socks for different topics.There are also maybe spi archives so I think SPI warranted

@TonyBallioni: I have sent you mail.If there will be admin that will make behavioral evaluation I am willing to send it to him too --Shrike (talk) 19:41, 21 June 2020 (UTC)

User:GeneralNotability sent --Shrike (talk) 18:32, 25 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Comments by other users[edit]

Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims. Seraphim System often edited about Middle Eastern food, but with a noticeable pro-Turkish bias; from some discussions I had with her about food, as far as I understand she is Turkish; she was familiar with Turkish food from her own experience, and not so much with Arab: [21], and these comments especially 30 November, are something I can't imagine a Lebanese person saying. I'm sure JJNito197 is Lebanese as stated on their user page. It's very hard to believe Seraphim System would be making all those edits to Lebanese cuisine, or edits like these: [22], [23]. On the other hand, that's what I said last time - apparently she's a master of disguises though, and it could all be fake...? It's still very hard to believe she was Shofet tsaddiq. Shakes head. --IamNotU (talk) 00:23, 22 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]

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

  • So, they are stale but based on the CU log this appears to be someone on a different continent, and they appear to have been on a different continent while the initial case here was still ongoing as well (also per the CU log). That being said, yeah, I agree there are some weird overlaps.  Behavioural evidence needs evaluation TonyBallioni (talk) 19:34, 21 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]
    • Shrike, received. I'll reply to you, but I'd prefer to let someone else look at this on behaviour. TonyBallioni (talk) 19:42, 21 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • I'll take a stab at the behavioral. Shrike, could you please send me your evidence? GeneralNotability (talk) 13:54, 25 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • I've reviewed the behavioral overlap and Shrike's email, and I don't see strong enough evidence to block. There certainly is overlap in interests, primarily Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Christianity and cuisine, but their edits do not convince me that this is the same person. Shrike - I agree those similarities you highlighted exist, but I see that sort of style often enough that I don't think of it as enough to prove socking. It is weird that there are so many overlaps, but there just isn't enough there for me to say that this is sockpuppetry instead of just two people with common interests. Also, after all of that work comparing edits on various Mediterranean foods, I could really go for some hummus. Closing without action. GeneralNotability (talk) 18:13, 26 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Sockpuppet_investigations/Seraphim_System/Archive&oldid=964980725"