I don't know if this is the right place to ask this, but do we have an "IP hopping" policy on Wikipedia? I know we have our Sockpuppetry policy, but how about IP hoppers who are NOT abusively editing?

Twenty edits from 5 different IP addresses give the IMPRESSION of five editors (consensus), but when looking at timing of edits it becomes apparent that it is the same editor. In this case the IP(s) has NOT edited abusively (never implied that they were different or colluded in any way).

Thoughts? ---Avatar317^(talk) 05:37, 25 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]

IP addresses can hop automatically completely out of the control of the user. This is common enough that I suspect most editors would not take away the impression that a number of IP addresses are five different editors, especially as changed IP addresses often still share a large number of digits and thus appear visually similar. CMD (talk) 05:47, 25 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Unless one is paying for a fixed IP address, the address is dynamic, assigned by whichever network is supplying the device's Internet service at a given moment. Even a desktop computer user's IP address is likely to change, at least on occasion, such as when the computer restarts. For a mobile user it happens all the time: arrive at home, when the connection switches from phone system to wi-fi (the home Internet service is drawing from a different pool of addresses from the phone service); then leave, drive to a cafe and connect to their wi-fi. Switch, switch, switch. I don't know what happens as one's connection jumps from one cell tower to another but I'm supposing the IP switches at least from zone to zone. Largoplazo (talk) 12:17, 25 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sorry, I didn't explain my question well enough. I fully understand what you both mean (I previously worked in computers/systems administration and understand IP's and allocation and dynamic/static IPs and routing quite well.)

How about when it APPEARS that someone is using a service which INTENTIONALLY hops to VASTLY different IPs. I am not familiar with Tor (network) 's behavior and whether users can specify to choose vary their exit nodes on a timed basis.

Specifically, edits here [1] starting at 2024-05-30T14:06:59‎ forward seem to be all by the same editor, but with geo-locations varying from Florida to California to Michigan...with times of 20 minutes or less between locations. ---Avatar317^(talk) 21:03, 25 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Bottom line, we don't have a policy about IP hopping because, in the vast majority of cases, it is completely out of the control of the editor. Most individuals have no idea if, or when, their IP address changes. If one is using a mobile IP address (very commonplace, around 1/3 of all edits), it's commonplace for every edit, no matter the time between them, to have a different IP. The question that would be appropriate here is "is this specific user, in this specific case, possibly using some sort of proxy?" It is only really relevant if the edits are of a problematic nature. Are they? There are too many IP editors involved in this article, making a big range of changes, to think they're a single person; more likely, this case has been the subject of some sort of recent media report/social media campaign and many people are putting in their two cents. Risker (talk) 21:17, 25 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]

• IP editing is permitted, thus we have to accept that the IP used can change.

IP hopping in order to present the impression of a false consensus becomes an abuse. But it does so when deliberately presented as being different editors, not just from use of the IPs.

Multiple IPs may take part in a discussion, and readers should be careful to not judge them automatically as being multiple editors (i.e. tending to a consensus). If this reduces the weight of an IP in a debate, then so be it - they're welcome to create an account instead. Andy Dingley (talk) 21:36, 25 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]