Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Austin Purfleet

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result of the debate was speedy delete as pure vandalism, after creator admitted to hoax. CLW 18:29, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Austin Purfleet

Uh oh. Cleanup on aisle Austin Purfleet. Nominating this walled garden:

• Austin Purfleet
• Bella Fisher
• Moonface Fisher (a 187-year-old cryogenic defrostee harpist-contortionist no less)
• Purfleet sorry, not nominating this for deletion, collateral damage only.
• Summer of Elevenses
• The Purfleet and Fisher Variety Show (I've added this one to the list so it doesn't get missed when closing this one. CLW 14:44, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

No sources, nothing on any of this on google. Created by Rupertknowles64 (talk - contribs) and AndyS_UK (talk - contribs) with a bit of collateral damage all around Wikipedia. Weregerbil 11:16, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

• Delete unless verified. Andrew Lenahan - Starblind 11:43, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

I don't understand why this page is being considered for deletion. Are articles such as this, featuring even the most obscure yet important characters in history, what make Wikipedia the comprehensive source it currently appears to be? J M —Preceding unsigned comment added by JamesMcFurlong (talk • contribs)

In Luton Purfleet is actually fairly well known. I am quite surprised there is no reference to him on Google. The writers of this page should set up a website about him. Chris —Preceding unsigned comment added by Chrisman66 (talk • contribs) — (The preceding is user's first edit on Wikipedia.)

Ok, granted Austin Purfleet is not the most famous of 19th century figures, but I don't think he deserves his entry deleted. The books mentioning Purfleet I've cited are by Nick Grene and Leon Green (coincidently enough) neither of which are high profile authors, but i'm trying to find other sources that mention him, as well as trying to get in contact with the two authors. My interest in Purfleet stems from the fact that my father claims that we're descended from him. Green's book makes mention of Purfleet's children with his second wife, but until this disbute is all sorted out I don't really want to go to the trouble of typing it all into wikipedia just for it to be deleted. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Rupertknowles64 (talk • contribs)

• Hi! Do you know of some verifiable sources for the information in the articles? Thanks in advance! Weregerbil 12:21, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

Yes, apologies for not including them earlier. They have now been added. James McFurlong 13:48 5 April 2006 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.100.114.89 (talk • contribs)

• Can't find two of the three books on google or amazon; can't find verification the third one mentions Austin Purfleet. Still delete as hoax. Weregerbil 13:00, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

• Speedy Delete as hoax, Massive, Screaming, Mauve-with-Pink-Polkadots HOAX. Read the bottom of the Moonface Fisher article and say it's not a hoax, I double-dare you. A pretty good, well written, funny, hoax, but clearly a hoax. Congratulations, Mr. McFurlong. GRuban 13:14, 5 April 2006 (UTC)
• Comment Also compare the mugshots of one Michael Lazar Biedermann and Austin Purfleet. Separated at birth? Weregerbil 13:18, 5 April 2006 (UTC)
• Delete. All excluding Moonface Fisher as un-verifiable WP:V. Speedy Delete - Moonface Fisher as CSD G7, excluding the fact that it clearly a hoax, the only contributer Rupertknowles64 blanked the page and may me seen as author requests deletion (WP:CSD, General, 7, "If the author blanks the page, this can be taken as a deletion request"). --blue520 13:31, 5 April 2006 (UTC)
• Comment. I missed one article: The Purfleet and Fisher Variety Show. A circus act where an elephant crushes a horse by stepping on it, then juggle the horse's head — that's ...unique. Weregerbil 13:41, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

• Comment - the "collateral damage" here in support of this hoax is impressive:

* Purfleet (noted above)

* Luton

* Henry Fuseli

* Henley Royal Regatta

* 1790

* 1798

* 1806

* 1826

* 1839

* Tromlitz - seems to be a rare exception, an actual article about a real person created by the below trio, just to insert an Austin Purflet reference.

... there may be others. I don't know where the right place to nominate this is, but I strongly suggest that each and every edit made by AndyS UK (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log), JamesMcFurlong (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log), and Rupertknowles64 (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · block user · block log) be considered for reversion. This hoax has been taken a bit too far. GRuban 14:20, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

Apart from Tromlitz, which seems to be genuine at first glance (although the title should be the full name...), I've reverted their edits (along with those of User:81.6.228.171, which seems to be part of the game. I've also given them warnings that they'll be blocked if they carry on. CLW 17:01, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

• Delete as hoax. Of the "references" cited, the first and third get zero Google hits. The middle one does appear to be a genuine publication, but I'd imagine it's been thrown in for fun. CLW 14:45, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

Austin purfleet is a legend, I can't believe you are considering deleting him? If you want to know more about him, just visit the British library and look him up.

• Not surprising, the British Museum library (the equivalent of the US Library of Congress) has never heard of him. Delete Thatcher131 16:27, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

• This is the end of Austin Purfleet's short-lived life Ok on behalf of the others I will confess: this is a huge hoax, I can see how much damage it has caused our dear country. I can confirm though that Tromlitz is a real flautist (according to the linked website at least) so his article should remain (although be renamed to Johann Tromlitz - I realised too late and could not see how to revert this). I appologise to Biedermann for using his image. I have checked all "collateral damage" (good film btw) I personally caused (or can remember causing at this instant) and all have been reverted. We can rest pleased with the following comment above: "A pretty good, well written, funny, hoax, but clearly a hoax." I am glad we weren't the only to enjoy this article. I leave it up to the appropriate people to take the necessary action. AndyS UK 17:57, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

* So, are you one person or three? (or more?) And do you (singular or plural) have any intention of sticking around and doing useful work? -- GRuban 18:16, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.