What is a sock puppet account?

A sock puppet account is defined as a person whose actions are controlled by another. It is a reference to the manipulation of a simple hand puppet made from a sock and is often used to refer to alternative online identities or user accounts used for purposes of deception. Online, it came to be used to refer to a false identity assumed by a member of an internet community who spoke to, or about, themselves while pretending to be another person.

The use of the term has expanded to now include other misleading uses of online identities, such as those created to praise, defend, or support a person or organization, to manipulate public opinion, or to circumvent restrictions, such as viewing a social media account that they are blocked from, suspension, or an outright ban from a website. A significant difference between a pseudonym and a sock puppet is that the latter poses as a third party independent of the main account operator. Sock puppets are unwelcome in many online communities and forums. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sock_puppet_account

Why do people create sock puppet accounts?

One reason for sock puppeting is to circumvent a block, ban, or other forms of sanction imposed on the person’s original account. A sockpuppet is a false online name and profile created to hide the author’s identity, usually because of personal, political, or financial ties to whatever is being discussed or reviewed. (News Literacy Project, Para. 2)

Sock puppet account vandalizes OSM

… See full entry

I’ll mostly be fixing railroads on OSM, like improving alignment of train tracks so they’re better aligned with those shown in aerial imagery. Most railroads on OSM were imported from TIGER and may not align very well with train tracks shown in aerial imagery because most TIGER roads and rail lines were mainly used for taking census surveys and not for drawing actual alignments of roads and train tracks. I fixed a few rail lines by adjusting the train track nodes and adding new nodes to the train track ways so they’re better aligned with aerial imagery.