Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Launebee

Launebee

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

Populated account categories: confirmed

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

28 August 2020

– This SPI case is open.

Suspected sockpuppets

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

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The account Delfield is clearly the latest episode in the string of sockpuppet accounts of Launabee. Launabee has been banned from editing articles on French academic institutions (. Delfield has been making edits to the English language Sciences Po article.

Evidence for sockpuppet-account:

Delfield has been following the content and language pattern of Launabee in a highly conspicuous way. Launabee was recognisable by continuously adding laudatory content about the law faculty of University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne. At the same time Launabee deleted positive content about Sciences Po and added derogatory content, specifically about the Sciences Po law school. While doing so, Launabee demonstrated a distinctly French-sounding English grammar and made mistakes with his wording.

Delfield fits into the exact language and content style of Launabee. Delfield even used some of the identical phrases as Launabee. The following are just a few examples of many:

Delfield writes: (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sciences_Po&diff=974153935&oldid=966898648)

"2008, partly as an answer to the announcement of the creation of a "law school" in this new meaning in Sciences Po, University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas, created a "law college" (undergraduate level) and then a "law school" (graduate level) on top of its faculty of law to attract top students in France (see the disambiguation page, second meaning). It was widely reported in the media as the creation of a "way of excellence in law" for "brilliant students"."

Launabee wrote: (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Law_school,_college_of_law_or_academy_of_law_in_France&diff=974366825&oldid=706723576)

"Panthéon-Assas University being the top faculty of law in France, medias called even more this law college and school "way of excellence""

Both use the same citations. The same language.

If you compare the editing history of both accounts, the similarity is striking:

(https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Contributions/Launebee&offset=20171002173105&limit=500&target=Launebee) (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Contributions/Delfield&offset=&limit=500&target=Delfield)

If more evidence is needed, I can easily give more examples. I take the nature of these investigations seriously. This is not a lighthearted accusation.

MePhisto (talk) 21:14, 28 August 2020 (UTC)

Comments by other users

Delfield

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

Hello,

I improved the article created by other users, I used their sources and those of other articles. I also copy pasted some useful information from an article to another. It obviously does not mean I am the same user than the other contributors whose work I use.

MePhisto is a one-purpose account oriented on making advertisement on Science Po with other accounts (it is why I ended up making much edits on that page and asked for a protection https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Requests_for_page_protection/Rolling_archive&diff=prev&oldid=920447245 ). I tried to talk to him on content in talk page and find a consensus, but he never once talked about content but only resorted to a "you have the same opinion than an other account, and are not a native-speaker either, so you are him and you should be banned" argument: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Sciences_Po .

--Delfield (talk) 11:51, 5 September 2020 (UTC)

Besides, one can wonder if MePhisto does not do POV pushing through IP adresses (he only has a few edits on Sciences Po but there has been long history of IP POV pushing as ONUnicorn says here https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Requests_for_page_protection/Rolling_archive&diff=prev&oldid=920447245 . I see indeed that CLCStudent reverted an edit made by an IP and corresponding to the content of MePhisto here https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Sciences_Po&diff=974863796&oldid=974863772 but that MePhisto just added the title back https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Sciences_Po&diff=next&oldid=974863796 .

--Delfield (talk) 12:03, 5 September 2020 (UTC)

XIIIfromTOKYO

It really looks like the same user. The same behaviour pattern was displayed on FR.wiki by Droas82 way back in late 2015/early 2016[1]. It took us 6 months to solve the Droas82 issue there. This user has been plaguing these articles since then on EN.wiki. Without a strong stance, you will have to deal with him/her for a long time. Good luck. XIIIfromTOKYO (talk) 13:29, 6 September 2020 (UTC)

I notice that this edit from this user, about some unspecified "behaviour pattern" from an another user, is their second edit in 2020. It is written in their talk page: "you are hereby topic-banned from making direct edits to articles on French academic institutions, due to your lack of facility with the English language and with the policies of English Wikipedia. Furthermore, you are cautioned against comments addressing the motive or character of other conversants. Any further comments of this type on your part may lead to an immediate block." Would this user be MePhisto? --Delfield (talk) 21:52, 9 September 2020 (UTC)

1000+ edits this year so far, and 100'000+ total edits[2]. Happy ? I don't think starting a discussion like you do by trying to know who has the largest editcount is very mature.

Yes, back in 2016 I tried to warn EN.Wiki about Droas82/Launebee crosswiki massive use of sockpuppets. Launebee managed to get me topic-ban to silence me, and came back with a brand new army of sockpuppets. And then Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Launebee was openned, and it was proven that I was right all along. So, yea, maybe I should ask for the topic-ban to be lifted, but I don't feel like dealing with admins thinking that my "lack of facility with the English language" can cover their xenophobic behaviours.

The "behaviour pattern" has already been introduced by MePhisto. So, no, it's not "unspecified". XIIIfromTOKYO (talk) 12:18, 10 September 2020 (UTC)

What do your problems with the administrators have to do with me? I mentioned your text on the noticeboard because I do not see what I can answer to that. --Delfield (talk) 22:40, 11 September 2020 (UTC)

Answered at AN. Now back to the real topic.

After only 131 edits as of today, you have shown that you already have a deep knowledge of Wikipedia ([message at the AN), and of a 5 years dispute (enough to provide very fast some years old diffs). But of course you know nothing about and are not connected to Launebee/Droas82 . XIIIfromTOKYO (talk) 11:03, 12 September 2020 (UTC)

You message is not clear. I found where one can ask Wikipedia if there is a problem and I provided the "diffs" available on your talk page for more clarity. Besides, could you be a bit more gentle please? I am not responsible for your problems with Wikipedia. --Delfield (talk) 13:30, 12 September 2020 (UTC)

You have attacked me on my number of edits, then on my grammar. Being "a bit more gentle". Sure, why not ? XIIIfromTOKYO (talk) 13:42, 12 September 2020 (UTC)

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