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Former good article nomineeHoward Marks was a Social sciences and society good articles nominee, but did not meet the good article criteria at the time. There may be suggestions below for improving the article. Once these issues have been addressed, the article can be renominated. Editors may also seek a reassessment of the decision if they believe there was a mistake.
Article milestones
DateProcessResult
June 18, 2012Good article nomineeNot listed
Did You Know
A fact from this article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "Did you know?" column on February 28, 2012.
The text of the entry was: Did you know ... that international cannabis smuggler Howard Marks (pictured) took on the alias of "Mr. Nice" after he bought a passport from convicted murderer Donald Nice?
In the newsA news item involving this article was featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "In the news" column on April 12, 2016.

Needs improvement

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agreed, he studied physics, not philosophy as an undergrad at Balliol.

Actually he studies physics first and after getting his degree he went on to get a philosophy degree

It starts saying HM is an author... If someone asks you about Bill Clinton (who also wrote a book), will you say "Yeah, i know Bill clinton, he is an author"?)

Currently living

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I believe he currently live in Leeds, England —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.106.202.98 (talk) 22:33, 21 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Father of ...

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Hello, I just read Howard Marks' autobiography, and there is no mention of him being the father to a "Daniel Marks". Shouldn't this be deleted? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.68.144.90 (talk) 11:55, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No, he has a son. My brother is a friend of his. 86.46.63.144 (talk) 23:36, 22 April 2011 (UTC)[reply]

10% of hashish trade?

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It seems very unlikely that he controlled 10% of the hashish trade in the world. I checked the reference and there is no justification for it there either. Samsite (talk) 18:34, 16 December 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Datums etc

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Some datums / years might be useful, especially the criminal period, and the years spent in jail? More info on criminal career, too.

Died

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I watched Howard Marks promote his new book on stage last night (2 Nov 2011) in Shrewsbury. So he didn't die in October 2011. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Blair.nimmo (talk • contribs) 16:51, 3 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Ex-wife

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Judy Marks is referred to as " His ex-partner, Judy Marks" - If she was his wife, then why use this ambiguous term?Kdammers (talk) 09:12, 23 February 2014 (UTC)[reply]

High Time

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In Mr Nice,' Marks writes about a biography of him called High Time. I searched the Internet and the British book records and could find no mention of it (except in a German version of Mr Nice).211.225.33.104 (talk) 08:11, 23 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Whoops, found it at Amazon.211.225.33.104 (talk) 08:17, 23 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Inappropriate Americanism

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The article describes him as driving around Europe in "a Winnebago" ; this is a specific brand of mobile home which may be recognised and popular in the USA, but one which I have literally never seen in Europe. In the 2010 film of Mark's biography, "Mr Nice", an anonymous vehicle based on a 7-ton truck style of chassis ; I can't see a brand, and don't know how accurate their research work was. But a Winnebago - in mid-1970s Europe? Not credible. — Preceding unsigned comment added by A Karley (talk • contribs) 10:29, 23 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

There was – briefly – an official Winnebago UK importer in the early 1970s but they never really caught on, like so many other contemporary US vehicles, due to their sheer size and thus unsuitability for British roads. However there were plenty of unofficial importers of American cars – Steve Ouvaroff's American Car Centre was particularly prominent at the time – so a European Winnebago is not beyond the bounds of possibility. Mr Larrington (talk) 13:05, 27 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
In the UK, 'Winnebago' is a generic term for a large American-style mobile home,[1] particularly when used as dressing rooms by film stars on location.[2] Verbcatcher (talk) 04:16, 29 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
"In 1988, DEA agent Craig Lovato arrested both Howard and Judy Marks and extradited the couple to the United States"
Another 'Americanism'. Marks was arrested by Spanish authorities in Palma, Majorca - when some random DEA guy has absolutely ZERO jurisdiction or powers of arrest. Furthermore, Marks was extradited by the Spanish courts (on indictment and application from the US government). The DEA can't 'extradite' people.
Honestly, Wikipedia is just stuffed with this American Exceptionalism nonsense.81.155.74.89 (talk) 23:57, 5 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

87 references from subjects own book?

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That cant be right and allowed by Wiki? He is essentially writing his own wiki page and using his own book as refernces to prove what he writes is correct? Someone needs to fix this?? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.160.8.84 (talk) 16:11, 25 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Sure, but take all that stuff out and you don't have much of an article. It's a common feature for bios of those who live in the shadows. Ericoides (talk) 13:29, 13 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
[edit]

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"very Welsh"

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Ref recent edit-warring.

I too am against this in the lead. For several reasons:

  • It doesn't belong in the lead. The lead needs to be clearer and less subjective. I would agree that he was "very Welsh", but the lead isn't the place to go into this.
  • "Very Welsh" is idiomatic Welsh dialect. It shouldn't be used bare and unexplained, and the unexplained shouldn't be in the lead.
  • Idiomatic Welsh is a problem on the English-language WP. It's unclear, or at least unfamiliar, to the majority of Anglophones. This is not a term that conveys anything more than an English phrasing would do.

I think this term could be used in the body of the article, so long as it was in an appropriate context and explained alongside. However it doesn't belong in the lead, as it's being added here. Andy Dingley (talk) 12:25, 21 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

It's just one person in Stockholm being silly. I'm sure they'll get over it. Ghmyrtle (talk) 12:30, 21 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Fantasist?

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Is it just me or are half his claims overblown? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.180.36.53 (talk) 12:23, 15 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Yes! For example he claims he "was connected with groups as diverse as the CIA, the IRA, MI6, and the Mafia." Is there any external verification of these claims? Was his connection with the IRA ever more than a few low level hoods? -31.52.208.197 (talk) 13:44, 12 September 2019 (UTC)[reply]

a little tidying up

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I've done a little tidying up of one or two details. Some thoughts -

The drug smuggling part of his life is extensively covered but his post-prison life as a campaigner and celebrity deserves more attention.

His ex-wife has published a book 'Mr Marks & Mrs Nice' and has been interviewed about his life as a celebrity which gives some additional details about him. Indeed, there should probably be mention that they divorced, not least because she attributes it to his celebrity. This might also mean that we have more than one source! Senor Nice gives some details on his celebrity life, for instance, but I am loathe to quote his own work again.

He gave plenty of interviews in Welsh (I have read some of them!) and I think that it is a notable fact that he was bilingual. I know that there is a note about him not speaking English until the age of five, but it should be more clearly indicated that he did not grow up a monoglot English speaker. GlenUsk2 (talk) 10:42, 19 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

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