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Muppets LTA
Shortcut: WP:MUPPETSLTA
Original name(s)Unknown
Wikilifespanc. Dec 2014 – present
(Indiana-based user)
c. Jun 2016 – present
(California-based user)
ISPFrontier
Physical locationUS, Indiana (Terre Haute, Connorsville, Centerville, etc)
InstructionsSuspected socks should be reported to AIV. When reporting, please link to this long-term abuse report. When the active abuse has been taken care of, please update this report with the latest information.
StatusActive

Overview

Originally this LTA was created to log the behavior of a vandal who uses IPs that geolocate to Indiana to persistently disrupt articles related to the Muppets, typically by adding indiscriminate lists about "Background Muppets", which I (Cyphoidbomb) assume to mean Muppets that populated background shots in various films and TV shows. Muppet "extras", basically. Locations include Terre Haute, Connorsville and Centerville. ISP is typically Frontier Communications. I believe I first noticed this user around late 2014 when they were making lots of unsourced numerical changes.[1][2] Then around mid-2015 I started noticing the Background Muppets stuff. That persisted into mid-2016 when a California-based IP user on Comcast's network started doing the same thing. There does appear to be some overlap, suggesting these might be multiple people. I don't believe that either user has ever engaged in conversation. It's also worth noting that the users are probably just mimicking the sort of content that appears at Wikia, like here for instance where we see "Background Muppets".

Behavioral traits

Neither user (Indiana-based or California based) has ever spoken, as far as I know. They tend to edit articles related to the Muppets, including the more obscure ones, along with articles tangentially related to the Muppets, like those for puppet performers, etc. In April-May 2015, the Indiana user was adding sections for Muppet Cameos, for instance [3][4][5]. In August 2015, the editor was doing a similar thing, inflicting a new section, "Background Muppets" on our readership.[6][7][8]. Other additions have changed the section headings from Background Muppets to Background Characters, or even Not Featured Muppets.[9]

Here they switch gears and post a giant unsourced wall of original research where they've documented all the other television series in which various puppets from Jim Henson's Animal Show appear. "The puppet used for Jake was reused in the Learning in Everywhere resource video sans glasses and bow tie. ... The orangutan puppet used for Jackie the Orangutan and Lawrence the Orangutan was reused as Skreet in Simian Undercover Detective Squad." etc.

Since 2019, the Indiana-based user often blanks their own talk page.

IPs used

Indiana-based

California-based

A few of these appear to be on different networks, (AT&T and Xfinity) but I figured I'd include them on behavior. One of their ranges, 73.93.140.0/22, is a known Xfinity Wifi range. Xfinity WiFi has been abused by LTAs before.

Maybe, maybe not

As of January 2016, I'm not convinced the above are related in a significant way. They tend to only edit the Studio DC article. Cyphoidbomb (talk) 17:28, 8 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Could be the knock-off, MarnetteD. Hard to say. The 75.* IP and the IPv6s above are both from Comcast, though the IPv6s seem to geolocate to California, while the 75.* geolocates to Minnesota. That might not be significant, however, as sometimes geolocation can be way off. The IPv6 tends to focus on Studio DC, sometimes only editing that article and propagating it with useless background characters, so I'm not 100% convinced based on behavior, though it's conceivable with edits like this and this coming from the 75.* IP. Who knows. But thank you for thinking of this! Cyphoidbomb (talk) 03:36, 28 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Sample of articles affected

ANI cases

Admin interventions

  • On June 28, 2015, Diannaa did some rangeblocking. Relevant ANI is here. Her comments from that ANI are copy/pasted here:

There's an opportunity for a range block at Range 50.104.192.0/19 (covers 8192 IP addresses). I have gone ahead and done that (blocked for 3 months).

172.78.98.129 is from a different range, and is currently blocked for 3 months. You say there's been other edits from this range, but a range block cannot be calculated from only one IP. We need at least two, and preferably more. 50.121.7.53 is from a different range, is not currently blocked, and was last used on June 24. 50.195.250.46 is from a different range, was last used in April, and is not currently blocked.

I suggest you prepare a WP:LTA case file for this user. A combination of range blocks and article protection has been used effectively in the past. You can expect to get quick action on your posts at AIV if you have an LTA case page already in place. -- Diannaa (talk) 17:36, 28 June 2015 (UTC)

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