Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/AcidSnow

AcidSnow

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

For archived investigations, see Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/AcidSnow/Archive.

19 May 2017

– This SPI case is open.

Suspected sockpuppets

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

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Back in January, AcidSnow tried to nominate Isaaq genocide for deletion, but bungled the AfD nomination process (Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Isaaq Genocide was deleted, but admins will be able to see the history - see also my post at User_talk:AcidSnow#Isaaq Genocide AfD). Last week, Somajeeste also bungled an attempt to nominate the article for deletion. At first, I thought that this was just a coincidence, but comparing the editing histories of the two accounts has raised my suspicions. Compare this edit by Somajeeste with this by AcidSnow (e.g. the passage starting For those that did use the term "genocide", such as AlJazzera appears, slightly modified, in both). Cordless Larry (talk) 12:12, 19 May 2017 (UTC) Cordless Larry (talk) 12:12, 19 May 2017 (UTC)

Both users are also pretty insistent that the article should be redirected to the article on the Somali Rebellion, with suspiciously similar use of words: compare this ("As mentioned before, the Isaaq weren't the only clan persecuted. The Somali Rebellion article already mentions some of the conflict") with this ("what this guy is referring is kind of duplicate from Somali Rebellion, these events are already partly mentioned on the Somali Rebellion article along with those of other clans"). Not necessarily damning on its own, maybe, but combined with the evidence above... Cordless Larry (talk) 12:26, 19 May 2017 (UTC)

Similar situation with this and this. Cordless Larry (talk) 12:51, 19 May 2017 (UTC)

I'm also suspicious that there's a link with Middayexpress here, and that there are potentially other sock- or meatpuppets. See Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/IncidentArchive888#Middayexpress's external canvassing for some of the background. Cordless Larry (talk) 12:35, 19 May 2017 (UTC)

On this point, after Middayexpress was topic banned and quit the site, they posted at User talk:AcidSnow#WikiProjects that "There will be many new Horn editors joining soon, so please be sure to welcome them and show them the ropes. It's been nice working with you bro; we'll keep in touch". If Somajeeste is one of these new editors, an alternative explanation for them using AcidSnow's wording in comments could be that the latter is somehow coaching them along the lines of Middayexpress's suggestion. Cordless Larry (talk) 18:59, 19 May 2017 (UTC)

Comments by AcidSnow

Hello everyone. I have been out the loop due to personal matters. Nonetheless, I would like to take the time to state that this user is not me. I have plenty of experience with reporting people for socking to know what actions not to take when doing so. If follow up information is needed, then l'll try my best to respond to all of them. AcidSnow (talk) 04:13, 20 May 2017 (UTC)

@AcidSnow: Some of the texts and links of Somajeeste are identical to those by you, but the gap of many months or year is unusual. This could have happened because of copying without disclosure, by either Somajeeste or you or both. Would either of you admit copying?, or offer another explanation? This may be relevant to the behavioral review and the due consideration of any attenuating factors. Ms Sarah Welch (talk) 13:50, 20 May 2017 (UTC)

I didn't copy any other user. A pervious user was also blocked for a failed attempted at copying my username in the past (see here: [1]). I am not particular sure what either users motives were for doing so. In regards to the possibility of meta-puppeting, I never instructed any individual to come to Wikipedia. It has been almost two years since these accusations first surfaced. For the most part the Somalia project has as usual remained underpopulated. AcidSnow (talk) 15:36, 20 May 2017 (UTC)

To be honest, I only returned due to being notified by CordlessLarry that there was socking accusations against me. I responded a few hours after his notification (see here: [2]). As is stated previously I have my own personal matters that I have been attendeing to. Awale-Abdi's edits are nothing more than a coincidence. AcidSnow (talk) 17:00, 20 May 2017 (UTC)

Comments by other users

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

This is ridiculous, and it is just harassment against me (by taking groundless accusation of someone with disruptive editing who drives his POV-agenda). i genuinely thought you were neutral editor but now i see where you coming from, and now to accuse me of sockpuppeteering is beyond my thinking, Good lucky with that.Somajeeste (talk) 12:41, 19 May 2017 (UTC)

It's hardly groundless, Somajeeste - as demonstrated above, you have made comments worded identically to those made by AcidSnow. If there is an innocent explanation for that, you would be well advised to give it here. Cordless Larry (talk) 12:44, 19 May 2017 (UTC)

It appears both accounts (AcidSnow, Somajeeste) have canvassed the same editor for their respective AfD nominations: AcidSnow [3], [4].

Somajeeste [5].Kzl55 (talk) 13:07, 19 May 2017 (UTC)

• Support a checkuser for Somajeeste and AcidSnow. Additional evidence: both champion a redirect (1, 2, 3) wherein both allege Isaaq genocide is covered by Somali Rebellion when it doesn't. More evidence is the identical source links by both, four months apart: (4, 5): https://books.google.com/books?id=0lXJ6nHj5HIC&dq=%22Hawiye+were+considered+comparable+in+scale%22&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=%22Government+atrocities+inflicted+on+the+Hawiye+were+considered+comparable+in+scale+to+those+against+the+Majeerteen+and+Isaaq.%22 ; Parse that and other embedded google search terms by the two users in the provided links. Ms Sarah Welch (talk) 15:59, 19 May 2017 (UTC)
• Additional evidence: both accounts used this same exact string "which is not accepted here. Therefore, I strongly advise you to stop that or risk being topic banned", this exact string does not appear anywhere else online, AcidSnow [6], Somajeeste [7]. Also this string "Don't shout at me and calm down" is only ever used on WP by the same two accounts and does not appear anywhere else online except for one single Google books search result, AcidSnow [8], Somajeeste [9]. Kzl55 (talk) 23:57, 19 May 2017 (UTC)

• @Buckshot06:, @El C:, @NeilN:, et al: please consider the behavioral evidence since you all have issued cautions to the accounts in question, in light of the unusual repeated instances of identical text evidences above. See e.g. 6, 7 by AcidSnow and Somajeeste, posted nearly one year apart. AcidSnow is a dormant account, its last activity during an January 2017 ANI proceeding. This is beyond the CU request, Ms Sarah Welch (talk) 03:03, 20 May 2017 (UTC)

• Both editors AcidSnow and Awale-Abdi have been absent from Wikipedia for an extended period of time, four months in the case of AcidSnow and one month for Awale-Abdi. Yet both of them came back to Wikipedia on the exact same day, (20 May), and both of their posts (AcidSnow on this SPI, and Awale-Abdi in an AfD the first incarnation of which was started by AcidSnow) happened within minutes of one another (AcidSnow, 05:13, [10]), (Awale-Abdi, 05:59) [11]. This strongly suggests collusion outside of Wikipedia and meat-puppetry. It is worthy of note that Awale-Abdi's vote in the AfD went in support of the deletion nomination, just like AcidSnow in his previous attempt (Awale-Abdi also voted in that attempt in support of deletion, found here Talk:Isaaq genocide/Archive 1 click to expand content). Kzl55 (talk) 16:32, 20 May 2017 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

• Recommend running CU. El_C 03:36, 20 May 2017 (UTC)

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