Famous sock-puppets in history

[Dave Monroe]

Origin of the term

The precise reason the term "Sock Puppet" came to be
used in this manner is likely lost to antiquity. At
least two possibilities have been offered:

    * That the term "sock puppet" reflects what a real
sock puppet is: a fake personality operated by an
actual personality. A sock puppet also happens to be
the cheapest and easiest puppet to make, alluding to
the glibness of the technique.
    * That it relates to the term "socket" as used in
the computer industry.

The first known usage of the term on July 9, 1993 in a
posting to bit.listserv.fnord-l, but was not in common
usage in USENET groups until 1996. The term tentacle
was also commonly used with similar meaning in Usenet
through the mid 90s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockpuppet_%28Internet%29

sock puppet: n.

    [Usenet: from the act of placing a sock over your
hand and talking to it and pretending it's talking
back] In Usenet parlance, a pseudo through which the
puppeteer posts follow-ups to their own original
message to give the appearance that a number of people
support the views held in the original message. See
also astroturfing, tentacle.

http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/S/sock-puppet.html

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