Parker Peters wrote:
Ok, here's a basic question. One we should all be able to agree on.
Should a "suspected sockpuppet" (new username) of a username block be blocked for being a sockpuppet?
It's a simple enough question. Yes or no?
Doesn't this properly depend on more context than the question provides?
My answer is: sometimes, it depends on the full context of the situation.
Example: a totally blatant vandal is blocked under one name, and comes back 5 minutes later under an obvious variant of the same name, and does the same vandalism again, and is blocked again. And again. And again. And finally under the Nth variant name, instead of starting with the vandalism, the user makes a user page stating an objective of correcting the horrible censorship on article X, the very article he has been vandalizing. I think blocking this suspected sockpuppet is fine.
Example: Someone shows up and makes a couple of lame but non-vandalism edits to a page which has been the favorite of a longtime sockpuppeteer. I say, in this sort of case, it can be possible to give the benefit of the doubt to find out if the newcomer is really a sock.
It just depends.