Suspected sock puppets

After the week where Patriots expressed their sorrow about Andrew Landeryou, we end the week with a story about suspected sock puppets.

The original is here. Someone might want to explain this in comments.

"This user is also responsible for deleting a bot message from Melbcity's talk page concerning an image of Kiev (see http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Melbcity&diff=prev&oldid=184448364). Melbcity's writing shows exactly the same characteristic spelling errors and aggressive style towards other editors as UkraineToday, and again the twin tie-ins to Melbourne, Australia and Ukraine; could this be another of his sock puppets? More - compare the edits in Andrew Landeryou (of Melbourne) by MelbCity on 11/02/2006 http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Andrew_Landeryou&diff=39201304&oldid=35862896 and by 193.243.156.191 the next day http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Andrew_Landeryou&diff=39319008&oldid=39318840 - they are identical. I'm not saying for certain that 193.243.156.191 and 193.243.156.214 are one and the same, but they have the same narrow contribs interest - Ukrainian politics and Melbourne, and 193.243.156.191 also cites the dubious http://melbournecitycouncil.blogspot.com (looks to me very much like a plug by a vested interest).

The same names - UkraineToday and Ukraine 200x crop up in two Ukrainian news sites, currently in forum.pravda.com.ua/ and in the past in en.for-ua.com/forum/. He has been banned from the latter several times and has used many different user names to evade the bans (exactly the same behaviour as I'm seeing here). Both publications have histories of allegations that he is Anthony van Der Craats, author of melbournecitycouncil.blogspot.com, which makes his citations of this blog self-publicity.

It seems that 193.243.156.214 is just the latest of several manifestations of blocked user UkraineToday. The behaviour is remarkably similar, as is the dual theme - Ukraine and Melbourne. You could say the same of non-current users 81.17.128.174, Ukraine2006, 193.243.156.191, and 217.12.205.67 and Melbcity. All the IP addresses relate to ISPs in Kharkov, Ukraine. If these aren't all the same person then that town must be breeding people with very specific interests in Melbourne.

Of these alter egos, Ukraine2006 and Melbcity appear to have been used in good faith before UkraineToday was blocked, and while they highlight multiple identities I see no evidence of malicious intent. I mention them here only because they form part of the bigger picture encompassing the external evidence below. Similarly 193.109.100.247 appears to have been used only in good faith before UkraineToday was blocked but should be considered as a potential future sockpuppet IP. The same could be said of 193.243.156.191 had it not been used to add a self-publicising link. 217.12.205.67 was used to self-publicise another of his blogs, Ukrainetoday.blogspot.com; the user account was subsequently blocked for this and other and for extreme bias(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:217.12.205.67). 81.17.128.174 was blocked as a sockpuppet of UkraineToday in September 2007.

Some of this is speculation on my part but the admins could quickly confirm whether Melbcity's IP comes from Melbourne or Kharkov, and whether Ukraine2006 and UkraineToday share IP with any of those I listed here as being behaviourally similar."

It is never clearcut with Landeryou!

SORRY for Andrew Landeryou

We are sorry Andy for your failed MUSU presidency.

We are sorry for your contribution to the collapse of MUSU.

We are sorry your involvement in the failure of IQ Corp.

We are sorry for your personal bankruptcy.

We are sorry for your insolvent blog.

We are sorry for your KFC addiction.

We are sorry for your obesity.

WE ARE SORRY.

A room with no view in the Fat Cave

“There are times when two pictures tells a thousand words.”

It appears that Andrew Landeryou has been up to his usual tricks. Select this external link for details.

Meanwhile, times are a little tough at the moment for Melbourne’s own Mr Creosote, what with his chronic unappeasable hunger for “fatter-than-fat” fried chicken.

So we thought it was time to humanise Andrew Landeryou, and take you on a tour of his personal life.

Last year (April 2007) we reported that Landeryou took delivery of a new car. He has since grown into it! With the import tariff loaded onto the price, it may explain Andy’s recent rant against the automotive industry review.

Patriots might also take note of Landeryou ‘hard at work’ on his Blog of Sleaze, in his Fat Cave. The picture is a study exploring all that makes Landeryou who he is. You might want to consider amongst yourselves all the various paraphernalia that he has surrounded himself with, such as the obligatory KFC family bucket. The portrait truly tells a thousand words.

Plus take a look at an early “Spot the Similarity” game.

The night of the ‘greasy fingers’ when Landeryou ate $1000 worth of food

It is well known that Andrew Landeryou’s favourite (and increasingly only) pastime is eating.

He especially has an unrequited chicken fetish, especially the KFC kind.

Not very long ago, while seated at Table 1 (nearest the kitchen) Landeryou masticated through $1000 worth of food in one evening sitting.

At the end of the night he could not even fit in a wafer thin mint.

The Mayne Report carries the exclusive of the night referred to in political circles as “the night of the greasy fingers” in reference to Landeryou’s mastication skills.

No one is quite sure why Landeryou attended the evening wearing a crop top. One suggestion is that he went as alternate personality Cat Cait, with the hope that no one would recognise him.

Plus tune in Monday for updated photographs of Landeryou doing whatever Landeryou does.

COMMENT CARNAGE: Landeryou flouts own ruling

In response to public calls that Andrew Landeryou’s Blog of Sleaze is a “...cesspit in blogging”, last week from Fat Cave central, Landeryou was forced to issue a half baked list of inconsistent and subjective criteria for commentators to follow on his Blog of Sleaze. Landeryou wrote that the penalty for breaking the rules: “... we'll delete the comments, ban your IP” – in other words – censorship. The real missing element of this that Landeryou conveniently missed out was that if a commentator attempts to correct Landeryou’s story, publish the truth or in fact attempt to disagree with Landeryou, he will summarily delete the comment(s).

The crazy blog Frog, has of course run the line before about linking IPs to particular commentators to his blog as we reported in October and December 2006.

"...Landeryou has installed a new tracking device on his Blog of Shame. The new comments feature, Haloscan, enables the 'pro-comment cancelling' Fuhrer to:

- View, edit or delete comments from the members section or the comment page·

- Ban commenters by single IP or an IP range.

The recording of commentator's IP addresses is a worrying development, as Landeryou actively records IP addresses in order to track down opponents."

Landeryou of course goes on further to write per submitted comments: “... do what the OC occasionally does and asks (sic) whether I'd like to see what I'm writing about someone else written about me. That simple reality check leads me to be tapping away at the backspace key quite a lot more than many would realise.” Landeryou has a well deserved reputation for plastering his Blog of Sleaze with innuendo, unfounded speculation, half truths and a peculiar blend of sleaze. Patriots have long asked, so how does Landeryou reconcile his writings with these editorial criteria? And a supplementary question, which ‘reality’ is Landeryou referring to?

Landeryou further adds: “So please be conscious of that too the next time you question someone else's sexual ethics, fidelity or other aspects of their private life.” Cries of hypocrisy rang out throughout the TS office as staff read this.

Finally, behind crocodile tears, Landeryou ends: “...ultimately I'm responsible for all the comments too so I hope you keep that in mind too the next time you feel the need to say things in the comments section”. Landeryou obviously has forgotten that MUSU, and IQ Corp, and other associated activities, were his responsibility too. Patriots and TS readers have kept those failed responsibilities ‘in mind’ for him.

Patriots let rip at Blog of Sleaze

Patriots have let rip at the Blog of Sleaze, with one calling it (rightly) a cesspit. Plus others have confirmed that Landeryou has promoted the illegal downloading of Underbelly.

Take the weekend to comment.

“No-one knows who made that contribution”

In 2003, Delia Delegate was the talk of the town. Popular among Crikey.com readers for her/his/it’s intimate take on the internal affairs of the Labour Party, and especially of the LU faction.

So popular was Delia that she/he/it was mentioned in Hansard (pp33 & 35 of the pdf).

An opposition MP made the first reference to Delia, and in response, a Government MP responded in order to deflect attention from Delia’s true identity: “No-one knows who made that contribution”.

Really, no-one?

MONDAY MANIA SPECIAL: Andrewlanderyou.com: whois?

Special Tuesday Edition!

While Liberty Larry maintained the fort of patriotism in safe hands last week, other Team Slanderyou members were involved in a serious investigative assignment.

TS’ attention was drawn to whether Landeryou had registered the domain name andrewlanderyou.com

And not to our surprise, he had, or rather someone had.

We trolled a little deeper and we found a number of curious details.

The registrant of the domain name is: (type in the verification code to view)

Wan-Fu China, Ltd. (ANDREWLANDERYOU-COM-DOM)

P.O.Box CB-11901

Nassau, BS

Nassau is a lovely place, from everything we’ve heard. Though curiously very close to unregulated online gaming spivery hotspot Costa Rica, where Landeryou has spent considerable time.

Then we discovered that wanfuchina.com have been up to no good: caught red handed initiating unsolicited and internet threatening browser pop-up ads and spam.

The internet police, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, has since become involved. The WIPO Administrative Panel on October 30, 2007 threw the ‘virtual’ book at Wanfunchina.

What is additionally interesting is that Wanfunchina has registered a domain name EBET888-COM-DOM. It is only conjecture, but doesn’t EBet sound like something to do with gambling? Online gaming spivery to be exact! Coincidence?

Tune in Tuesday (Monday Mania special edition)

Liberty Larry has had a very busy week - well done Larry.

Meanwhile, other members of Team Slanderyou have also been hard at work.

And on Tuesday, we bring you a very special investigation.

Tune in Tuesday: it'll be good. Here is a clue.

BREAKING NEWS: Former Vic student union chief jailed (UPDATED)

UPDATE 2 (Thursday)
More about Ray here.

UPDATE 1 (Thursday)
The Age this morning (Thursday) has slightly more.

ORIGINAL
The Age reports:

Former Vic student union chief jailed

February 6, 2008 - 12:37 PM

A disgraced former president of the Melbourne University Student Union has been sentenced 20 months' jail with a minimum of six months for fraud.

Darren Kenneth Ray, 26, was sentenced in the Victorian County Court on charges relating to operating bank accounts under false names and obtaining financial advantage by deception.

The court heard Ray swindled Australian taxpayers of $182,281.42 by lodging business account statements under false names.

In sentencing, Judge Jane Campton said she had taken into account Ray's youth and genuine remorse, but that a term of imprisonment was appropriate.

"No other sentence is appropriate," Judge Campton said.

"You took advantage of the GST system. Crimes of this nature are difficult to detect, your offending was well planned and carried out with a degree of sophistication."

He was ordered to repay the fraudulent funds to the Commonwealth of Australia.

Ray, of St Kilda Road, Melbourne, has been embroiled in several legal disputes since the collapse of the Melbourne University Student Union in 2004.

He was president of the union in 2002 and presided over a $46 million property deal to develop a student accommodation building.

A 2003 auditor's report warned the deal could send the student union broke.

In February 2004, the Melbourne Supreme Court ordered the union be wound up based on the report.

The Herald is running the same AAP story.

Some interesting background on Ray's activities is provided on the MUSU Labor Club/Liberal Club/Student Alliance/Go forces alliance.

And more here: much, much more.

Andy, but Jaspan is still here? (UPDATED)

UPDATE
A patriot informs us that Landeryou's lack of forecasting ability also extends to: "Caroline Wilson to leave The Age (still there), Philip Ruddock to retire before the 2007 federal election (re-elected) and - by far way the best to date - a Lib-Nat victory at last year's poll."

Which reminded us that Landeryou backed the Coalition to win with $100 wagers.

And in 2006 Landeryou displayed another example of his lack of business skill and forecasting ability, when he trumpeted a website that he claimed would soon rival The Age.

ORIGINAL
In June 2007, Andrew Landeryou forecast: "Left-wing Australian newspaper, Melbourne's The Age is set to dump its Editor-in-Chief Andrew Jaspan".

It is now February 2008. Jaspan is still the Editor!

Is this another of many examples of Landeryou's poor forecasting skills via his Blog of Sleaze?

Landeryou signs off his Media Release with: "For further information on the Australian media from a fair and balanced perspective, read Andrew Landeryou's The Other Cheek". Fair and balanced?

Landeryou: retrospectively thrown out

Geelong is a hot bed of political controversy at the moment. What with this news, and that the local newspaper, the Geelong Advertiser describing Landeryou as a "...notorious internet blogger".

What appears odd, is that if true concerning this story, why hasn't Landeryou been threatened with retrospective expulsion from the ALP?

We know there are serious legal philosophical issues with retrospective legislation, but does that apply to former ALP members who now write exclusively for the Liberal Party?

Andrew Landeryou’s ‘skidmark’ legacy

Andrew Landeryou’s history, as all patriots must by now be aware, is littered with failure – MUSU, IQ Corp, Optima – which have all contributed in one form or other to his bankruptcy.

And his most recent project has been unable to escape that history. That project is his Blog of Sleaze. It has been struggling as a going concern financially since its creation.

But even in the ratings stakes it has collapsed. In April 2007 we reported that Landeryou's blog according to the prestigious blog traffic rankings provider, Alexa, was ranked a low 11,019 in Australia.

The news has only gotten worse for Landeryou with the same provider recording in February 2008 that Landeryou’s blog has fallen to 16,092 in Australia. In addition, the blog is down 36% on reach; and down 118,530,983 on traffic rank.

The supporting chart reveals that the Blog of Sleaze is flat-lining away into obscurity.

It seems that with MUSU, IQ Corp, and Optima scrubbed from history, his Blog of Sleaze will be his lasting ‘skidmark’ on history.

Andrew Landeryou's new menu offer

Andy has a new idea to replace the KFC family bucket: his version.

Happy weekend.