Talk:Sock puppet account

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This article has been mentioned by a media organization:

Nicholson Baker (10 April 2008). "How I fell in love with Wikipedia [1]". The Guardian.

On 19 October 2013, Sock puppet account was linked from Motherboard, which was in turn linked to from Slashdot, a high-traffic website. (Traffic)

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Discussions

No consensus, 30 July 2020, from Sockpuppet (Internet) to Sockpuppet (internet), see discussion.
Move, 19 August 2020, from Sockpuppet (Internet) to Sock puppet account, see discussion.

Why 'sockpuppet' and not just 'puppet'?

Latest comment: 2 years ago2 comments2 people in discussion

Does anyone know why (whoever) called these accounts "sockpuppet" originally and not just 'puppet' accounts? "Sockpuppets" reference something cute, and these "puppet" accounts aren't cute. Thank you 2600:1700:B9C0:DCA0:F174:D3FC:B508:7564 (talk) 15:34, 16 January 2023 (UTC) E.S.Reply

Because there is both sockpuppets and meatpuppets. Qwer2025 (talk) 08:37, 25 April 2024 (UTC)Reply

"Socking" listed at Redirects for discussion

Latest comment: 2 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

The redirect Socking has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2023 December 14 § Socking until a consensus is reached. Skarmory (talk • contribs) 16:29, 14 December 2023 (UTC)Reply

Shift of meaning?

Latest comment: 2 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

If "using a fake account for the purpose of shaping public opinion", then what do you call the pre-code meaning of "using real accounts and their owner to shape public opinion, paid or otherwise, as if putting one's hand into him and control his creative output, see also Cue card and Teleprompter"?

A shill? And did the meaning shift because someone put his or her hand into the Wikipedia article to withhold from public opinion that it refers mostly to corporate media? 31.17.249.203 (talk) 04:22, 28 May 2024 (UTC)Reply

Misspelling

Latest comment: 5 months ago2 comments2 people in discussion

I don't know if anyone else caught this, but Metacritic is misspelled as Metactitic, and it is just driving me crazy a bit every time I see it on the page. I'm not currently able to edit the page and fix it myself, however. If someone could please go in and fix that, I'd appreciate it. Swifturtle the Comet (talk) 01:52, 17 February 2026 (UTC)Reply

Fixed. Danbloch (talk) 03:35, 17 February 2026 (UTC)Reply

Evading blocks as sockpuppetry

Latest comment: 3 months ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Should we put evading account blocks in the “examples of sockpuppetry” section? Wikbehere (talk) 01:43, 15 April 2026 (UTC)Reply