User:Chrislk02/socks

On wikipedia, and other wikis, with the ability to change IP addresses and run multiple accounts, abuse of multiple accounts is of real concern. Wikipedia strives for transparency and accuracy, both of which can be compromise by the misuse of multiple/alternate accounts. Being that check user is the only definitive way of proving sock puppetry, and also knowing that sockpuppetry cannot always be determined by a check user (using multiple accounts in on different ISP's or otherwise) sock puppetry blocks are often made on personal experiences and a less than subjective analysis of the situation. Checkuser is often used in the most egragios occasions however it is not used for fishing (instead the duck rule is often applied in these situations. The outcomes of this I believe to be often inaccurate and detrimental to this project however without a better option it is the only one available. I believe it is necessary to perform an in depth analysis on sock puppetry in an effort to determine profiles of common sock puppet abusers, there motives, intentions and signatures. This page will be used for collection of this research, hypotheses and other information used to determine the questions stated above.

Rules/Laws/Hypotheses

1. The law of future uncertainty - We are unable to know the future intentions of an editor. We can only make decisions on the information currently available. Specifically decisions as to whether an account is a sock or not a sock can only be made based on currently available information. This however does not mean that the decision cannot change as the available information changes

1. All alternate accounts are created with purpose, no if's and's or but's -- This purpose can be for good or for nefarious intent. Also, the purpose need not come to fruition however it exists. Alternate accounts used for good intentions should have no reason to come under scrutiny. However accounts used for ill intent have specific, identifiable profiles, that can tip us off to the intent and the poteitnal sock master
2. An alternate account that cannot be linked to any ill/nefarious intent may or may not be a sock, however the distinction is unimportant.
3. For the purpose of this study, An alternate account that does not edit in the same circle, participate in the same discussions or otherwise engage in any behavior that could be construed as a conflict of interested is an alternate account used with good intent. For all purposes this account should be considered a single account and be unlinked to a common editor behind them should they so exist.

(Note, all of this applies assuming no concrete evidence (checkuser) has been provided to dispute an assumption).

Motives

The following are motives that creates or alternate accounts may have

1. Good alternate accounts
   1. Start again from scratch(for legitimate reasons) - I.E. an editor, tired with teh dramaz of being an admin blocks there primary account, creates a new account and edits under this account from that point forward.
2. Bad alternate accounts
   1. Recognition - An editor, feeling that they will never gain status in this community by becoming an administrator or writing a featured article may join the dark side in an attempt gain recognition. It is my belief that this is one of the most common reasons that abusve alternate accounts are created
   2. To gain the upper hand in a content dispute, vote or other area where consensus is being determined.
   3. Start again from scratch(nefarious reasons)

Signatures

(Note, these are all hypotheses. I intent to study proven sockpuppet cases to support or refute these statements.) These are identifiable characteristics in editing patterns used to determine if an editor may be a sock. Each of these characteristics will receive a title, a signature (description), proposed strength of the identifier (1-10 where 1 is the weakest identifier and 10 is the strongest identifier) and a % occurance (after the study beings. This will be the % of proven sockpuppet cases that matched this signature and profile is the type of sock that most often applied to this identifier.

Title	Signature	Purpose	Strength	%	Profile
Reach Autoconfirm	An account reaches the auto-confirm threshold in a short period of time without drawing attention to itself. Edits are likley to be minor, non vandalistic and to talk/user pages.	Accounts that have reached the auto-confirmed status are in a position to edit semi-protected pages, move pages and otherwise cause more damage than non auto-confirmed accounts	(Low-Med) - only 10 edits are required		Unknown

1. An account edits to the minimums required for auto-confirmed status then edits cease.
   1. Edits are likley to occur sequentially over a short period of time (less than a day).
   2. Edits are likley to be minor edits and/or edits to talk pages in attempt to quickly reach the autoconfirm threshold.