Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Gregor MacGregor

Gregor MacGregor

This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page.

The result was: scheduled for Wikipedia:Today's featured article/April 1, 2016 by — Chris Woodrich (talk) 00:35, 18 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Gregor I (1786–1845) was the first Cazique of the Principality of Poyais in Central America, Inca of New Granada, and founder of the Order of the Green Cross. Descended from both the ancient Kings of Scotland and indigenous South American royalty, Gregor served with distinction in the "Die-Hards" of the British Army's 57th Foot during the Peninsular War, then rendered honourable service to New Granada, Venezuela and Florida as a general during their wars of independence from Spain. Created Cazique of Poyais in 1820, he returned to his native Britain to offer the country's benefits to British investors and settlers, and arranged transport for about 250 emigrants, mostly his fellow Scotsmen. Poyais was such a place that fewer than 50 ever returned to Britain. Gregor then attempted to attract French colonists, but was frustrated when the French government stopped them from leaving. Gregor died a hero and at his funeral had the President of Venezuela marching behind his coffin. Many have tried to emulate the policies he initiated as leader of Poyais, but few have come close to matching his success. (Full article...)

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Main editors: Cliftonian
Promoted: 12 December 2015
Reasons for nomination: Reverence for the most excellent Sovereign Cazique
Support as nominator. — Cliftonian (talk) 16:45, 24 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Cliftonian, I've refined the New Grenada disambig to United Provinces of New Granada (piped): can you check I've pointed it to the right one? Cheers - SchroCat (talk) 17:15, 24 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, that's right, cheers — Cliftonian (talk) 17:17, 24 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Support. - Dank (push to talk) 16:57, 24 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Second-choice support, if the Hitler Diaries are not run. - SchroCat (talk) 18:25, 24 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Support Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 19:34, 24 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Support As I noted elsewhere, this article would be an excellent choice for 1 April, and thanks for nominating it Cliftonian. I would suggest adding "fictional" before "Principality of Poyais" in the first sentence though. Nick-D (talk) 07:00, 25 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for suggesting it Nick. I'd rather not add "fictional", though, in my opinion that rather kills the joke. — Cliftonian (talk) 07:25, 25 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I think that this is a wacky-enough tale that you could tell it straight, but it's not a big deal given the history of 1 April TFAs. Nick-D (talk) 10:14, 25 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I rather like the idea of doing the blurb as the Cazique himself would have done it at the height of the con. I'm sure a not insignificant number of readers will genuinely be taken in if we run it this way, which in my opinion adds another level to it as an April Fool's article. — Cliftonian (talk) 10:23, 25 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Cliftonian, this is a fabulous idea! Why don't you run up blub like that, drop in this discussion, and we'll see what the others think. That really is in the spirit of April 1. — Maile (talk) 21:43, 29 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Support - Seems like a funny take, just make sure the blurb is well written and intriguingly funny. Judgesurreal777 (talk) 05:58, 26 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Is the one I wrote above well written and intriguingly funny? — Cliftonian (talk) 08:18, 26 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

It is well written, but it needs to have some kind of nod. If I read this, not knowing the story, I would think it was just some historical figure article, and never know it was a joke. For that reason, I probably would never click it. Even if we don't us fictional, we have to in some way indicate this story is going to be "off" in some way. Judgesurreal777 (talk) 14:38, 26 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I've tweaked it a bit; as Nick has said above we could even run it straight. Anyway we have a few options. — Cliftonian (talk) 17:18, 26 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Support the choice of article for this date. (The blurb needs a little work.) --Dweller (talk) Become old fashioned! 13:58, 26 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Support the perfect date for this article. I agree with the statement above that the opening sentences need to hook the reader into the joke. Maybe something like "Gregor McGregor was an habitual confidence man who crowned himself Cazique of the fictional Central American territory of Poyais, and successfully bilked hundreds of their life savings, not once but (however many times he did this)..." or something of that nature. — Maile (talk) 20:48, 29 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

On second thought about the blurb, see my comment above under Cliftonian's suggestion. — Maile (talk) 21:43, 29 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Alternative suggestion

Gregor I (1786–1845) was, by the grace of God, the first Cazique of the Sovereign Principality of Poyais in Central America, the Inca of New Granada, and a British and Venezuelan war hero. Scion of an ancient Scottish royal line, and also descendent of indigenous South American royalty, Gregor served with distinction in the "Die-Hards" of the British Army's 57th Foot during the Peninsular War, then rendered heroic service to New Granada, Venezuela and Florida as a general during their struggles for independence from Spain. Created Cazique of Poyais in 1820, he returned to his native Britain to offer the benefits to British investors and settlers, and arranged transport for about 250 emigrants, mostly his fellow Scotsmen. Poyais was such a place that fewer than 50 ever returned to Britain. Gregor's attempts to attract French colonists were less successful, through no fault of his own, and the French government briefly held him as a political prisoner. Gregor died a hero and at his funeral had the President of Venezuela marching behind his coffin. Many have tried to emulate the policies he initiated as leader of Poyais, but few have come close to matching his success. (Full article...)

— Cliftonian (talk) 08:04, 1 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Running anything with "by the grace of God" won't last five minutes before someone complains about it at WP:ERRORS or T:MP as an inappropriate phrase to use in Wikipedia's voice. Bencherlite ^Talk 08:38, 12 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Well, leave it out then. I'd meant it as a fairly transparent indicator that the blurb wasn't serious, but you're probably right a lot of people wouldn't get that. — Cliftonian (talk) 10:38, 12 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]