Wikipedia:Sock puppetry/Notes for the accuser
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
To report a suspected sock puppet, follow these steps:
| I. |
Tag the suspect.
Tag the user page of suspected sock puppet with {{subst:Socksuspect|1=SockPuppeteer}}, where SockPuppeteer is user page of the master of the sock puppet. |
| II. |
Create the evidence page.
Click on the red link in the template you just added and paste {{subst:Socksuspect2|1=SOCKPUPPETEER|2=SOCKPUPPET}}. Save the page. If the link in question is not red, this means the user has been suspected before, and you should manually edit the notice on suspect userpage to point to [[Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets/SOCKPUPPETEER (2nd)]] (or (3rd), (4th) and so on). |
| III. |
Write down the evidence that the suspect is a sock puppet.
Edit the evidence page you just created and write down the evidence that user is a sock puppet, however obvious it might be. If this is not the first time the user is suspected, link to previous cases should be provided. The evidence should state why is it obvious that a user is sock puppet. This must include not only evidence that that the account is an alternate account, but also the instances where the account has been used illegitimately, as an account which has been used legitimately is not a sock puppet. Keep in mind that users may sometimes make mistakes, and in cases where a usually legitimate alternate account seems to have been used as a sock puppet, it may be appropriate to ask the user before making accusations. The problem may have merely been caused by a mistaken login. |
| IV. |
Notify the suspect.
Inform the suspected sockpuppet master of him being accused: put {{subst:Socksuspectnotice|1=SOCKPUPPETEER}} ~~~~ on the bottom of the talk page of the SOCKPUPPETEER. If this is not the first time the user is suspected, the note added to the bottom of should be appropriate: {{subst:Socksuspectnotice|1=SOCKPUPPETEER (2nd)}} ~~~~ or similar. |
| V. |
Notify users who monitor discussions about sock puppets.
Copy the tag below, and then click THIS LINK to open the suspected sock puppets page. At the top of the page, insert:
replacing SOCKPUPPETEER with username of the sock puppet suspect. If this is not the first time the user is suspected, the link to evidence page formed in step 2 should be added instead ({{Wikipedia:Suspected sock puppets/SOCKPUPPETEER (2nd)}} or similar). |
