Wiki143:Suspected sock puppets/Frank Anchor

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.

User:Frank Anchor

Suspected sock puppeteer

Frank Anchor (talk⁺ · contribs · deleted contribs · tag · block user · block log · CheckUser)

Suspected sock puppets

• Baseballfan789 (talk⁺ · contribs · deleted contribs · tag · block user · block log · CheckUser)
• NewYork483 (talk⁺ · contribs · deleted contribs · tag · block user · block log · CheckUser)
• Busta Baxta (talk⁺ · contribs · deleted contribs · tag · block user · block log · CheckUser)

Report submission by

• Hammersbach (talk) 19:25, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

Evidence

This is very interesting case if only because it has gone on for so long. Frank Anchor has used at least three puppets to break Wikipedia's editing guidelines. He has specifically used them to avoid the 3RR, tried to portray an artificial consensus in articles for deletion, and attempted to show more support for his ideas on discussion pages than might otherwise exist. The problem with presenting evidence here is that, frankly, there is just so much of it. I will list here enough examples to clearly show the patterns that exist. If more are desired, I can provide them.

• All the accounts listed have shown an intense interest in sports, particularly those in Ohio and especially the Cleveland area (major as well as minor), children's cartoon shows, and have a connection to Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School.[1][2][3]

• The number of edits made by Frank Anchor, Baseballfan789, and NewYork483 are roughly 2,500, 500 and 400 respectively. When looking at their edit histories there are two things that should be noted when considering sock puppetry. The first is the total number of edits. Despite having near identical editing preferences, Frank outnumbers the other two by a 5-to-1 ration. The second is that despite the fair number of edits made, they are virtually never interlaced chronologically as you would expect from people who are editing independently, but rather come in non-concurrent blocks of edits. This is especially true of Baseballfan789 and NewYork483 who almost never edit on the same day.

• One very curious aspect of the interaction between these three is the almost total lack of communication that occurs directly between them. Despite the attention that they have shown to maintaining each other's user page, [4][5][6][7][8], the one and only comment that any of them left on the other's discussion page occurred here[9], when NewYork483 chimes in to support Frank's preference of which style of table to use. For three editors to have such similar edit histories, similar opinions and to provide so much support to one another's edits, and in many cases extremely timely support[10], it is astonishing that there is not a greater record of communication between them. That is, of course, unless they are the same guy.

• Frank has routinely used his puppets in AfD’s and other discussions in an attempt to sway the arguments. Three notable examples come from the Oakland Zoo (cheering section)[11], the Pioneer Conference[12], and the Blanchard Valley Conference[13]. (In this last one notice at the bottom how Frank got a little confused on the voting.) All three of these examples are long and painful to review but the fact they are working in harmony with each other is very obvious.

• Others examples are Libby Folfax[14], Carl Weezer[15], Gourmet[16], Miller Park[17], Talk:2008 Cleveland Indians season[18], Wikipedia:Templates for deletion/Log/2008 April 4[19], Talk:BCS controversies[20], Template talk:2008 Cleveland Browns schedule[21], and Wikipedia:Deletion review/Log/2008 August 3[22]. Note how often in their comments how they make it a point of stating that they are in agreement with the other in an attempt to bolster their POV.

• The earliest and most recent edit histories of Baseballfan789 and NewYork483 are revealing. In the first two months of editing Baseballfan789 makes just 11 edits, six of which are to his home page. Roughly ten days after Baseballfan789 makes his first appearance, Frank is losing an argument, badly, to keep the article on Pule. Baseballfan789 joins the discussion and recommends redirecting instead of deletion, Frank "jumps on board".[23] In the next seven weeks BBF makes just five edits with the fifth one being to award Frank Anchor his first Barn Star[24] for (drum roll please...) reverting vandalism.[25][26] The last two months show a pattern of editing in defense of and agreement with Frank’s edits. Note that these two edits are just one minute apart. [27] [28] As for NewYork483, on only his second day of editing he makes extensive edits to articles related to SpongeBob SquarePants, a favorite subject of Frank's, including creating a user page for Bikini Bottom.[29] During this time period Frank doesn’t edit, but starts to edit the same article immediately after NewYork483 apparently logs off. He reverts not a single edit from NewYork483 but rather continues the same cleanup.[30] Between October 15, 2008 and December 10, 2008 NewYork483 doesn’t make a single edit. On December 11 he reappears to support Frank.[31]

• Dave's Markets: This is one of the more blatant abuses. Frank created the article and is actively working on the article when within minutes of its creation it is tagged for speedy delete by ukexpat. Just 13 minutes after it is tagged Baseballfan789 removes the tag[32] and leaves a note on the talk page explaining notability and stating his intent to add the article.[33] (He never does.) Frank then continues editing the article. Where this is blatant is that Frank knows that as the original editor of this article he can not remove the tag. His other puppet, NewYork483, had actually referenced this very fact in an earlier edit on the Oakland Zoo (cheering section).[34]

• Here’s an interesting coincidence. Frank routinely edits the page on Carrabba's Italian Grill, [35][36]. Baseballfan789 edited the former page on the Chicken Bryan, [37], a popular sandwich at Carrabba’s. NewYork483 edited Caprino (cheese), [38] “one of the four main ingredients in Chicken Bryan…” Each has only edited the one article and not the other two.

• Here are two edits from the Talk:Michigan–Ohio State rivalry page that are rather illuminating when placed side-by-side. The first is from Frank:

“I go to OSU and have NEVER heard of it as The Game except in the context when any game can refer to that (such as "are you going to the game this weekend?)...”[39]

This is followed by NewYork483 four months later,

“I go to Ohio State and I dont hear it referred to as "The game" except when any game could be mentioned as that.”[40] (Note that in this last edit that he also explains to another editor what Frank meant in a previous edit.)

• This one if from SpongeBob SquarePants’s discussion page and pretty much speaks for itself. [41] Note that NewYork483 didn’t participate in the AfD[42] but some how has managed to know all about it and be the first to bring it up on the discussion page, followed no less than two minutes later by Frank who, of course, agrees. This was NewYork483's only edit in an eight day stretch.

• This one truly is a miracle! If only Baseballfan789 had a few minutes quicker, he would have beaten Frank to the punch instead of it being the other way around. [43]

• The Cliff Notes version - Busta Baxta appears to no longer be actively used but I have included him here because his edit history is a microcosm of the other two puppets.

His first edit was to respond to a very interesting message left by Trumpet9999 on Frank Anchor's discussion page.[44] and Frank's response[45]

This is followed by his second edit, the awarding of a barn star to Frank.[46].

He then wades into a discussion on VASJ graduate David Lighty to support Frank Anchor's efforts in keeping the article.[47]

Next, he joins a discussion on the Dawg Pound to show that Frank wasn't wrong so much as it was a case of semantics.[48]

Here Busta joins in the efforts to get Patrick Star his own page back after Frank's unsuccessful effort to keep it from being redirected.[49]

His finally appearance is part of Frank's campaign to keep the Blanchard Valley Conference article. [50]

Comments

Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets/Frank Anchor

Conclusions

File:Symbol confirmed.svg Confirmed = = =

File:Time2wait.svg Stale — Rlevse • Talk • 01:16, 25 December 2008 (UTC)

Coren blocked socks indef and master two weeks. — Rlevse • Talk • 01:35, 25 December 2008 (UTC)

Edit: New sock and reactivated File:Symbol confirmed.svg Confirmed and indefed. — Coren ^(talk) 22:49, 29 December 2008 (UTC)

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