Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2021-01-31/Humour
Dr. Seuss's Guide to Wikipedia
- One hundred years ago, Theodor Seuss Geisel (better known as "Dr. Seuss") arguably began his writing career by authoring a book review of a railroad timetable and contributing to the Dartmouth College humor magazine Jack-O-Lantern.[1] Since then millions of children – young and old – have delighted in the wit and wisdom of his iconic books with their hallucinatory illustrations. In celebration of this centennial, The Signpost has blatantly hijacked some of Seuss's most familiar works (and a few less familiar ones) in service of the perhaps questionable goal of indoctrinating a new generation of editors in the wacky ways of Wikipedia.
said young Gerald McGrew,
"And the fellow who runs it
seems proud of it, too."
| “ | You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way! |
” |
| — Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go! | ||
All around the world
they're editing.
And so they don't need me.
Let others edit Switzerland
or Memphis, Tennessee.
Let them edit in Alaska
and in China.
I don't care.
Let others edit Italy.
Let others edit Spain.
Let them edit Massachusetts,
Connecticut and Maine.
Someone else can edit London
and Paris and Berlin.
Let them edit all they want to.
But not me.
I'm sleeping in.[9]
My wonderful weapon, the Rollbacker-Snatchem,
will roll back those edits as quick as we catch 'em.[11]
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can redirect articles
any places you choose.[12]
Ei! What a committee! Fit for its purpose!
Our clerks they love clerking. They say, "Work us! Please work us!
We'll clerk and we'll clerk until we're lightheaded
(But you'll only see half 'cause discussion's unthreaded!)" [13]
| “ | I'm a North-Going Zax and I always go north. Get out of my way, now, and let me go forth! |
” |
| — Dr. Seuss, The Zax | ||
I learned there are vandals of more than one kind.
to be blocked by me! [19]
Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But they gave me the bit – I'm all ready you see.
Now those vandals are going(Sequel: I Had Trouble Reporting to AIV, Too)
| “ | And to Think That I Saw It in a Featured Article[20]
 Those stars weren't so big. They were really so small. You might think such a thing wouldn't matter at all. |
” |
| — Dr. Seuss, The Sneetches and Other Stories | ||
I meant what I said, and I said what I meant ...
ArbCom is faithful, one hundred per cent! [26]
| “ | Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. |
” |
| — Dr. Seuss, The Lorax | ||
Link internal, external, piped or unpiped.
Oh, the links you can link up however you like!
Don't link left-wing or right-wing, promo or spam.
Practice safe linking whenever you can! [27]
Wrote the Far Western part
Of south-east North Dakota,
And a very fine article
About the iota,
But I'll write a stub
That is even much finer
On the north-eastern west part
Of South Carolina.[35]
Editors know, up top you see great sights,
but down here at the bottom, we too should have rights.[36]
| “ | Are you sure everyone on enwiki is working? Quick! Check the contribs! Is anyone shirking? [37] |
” |
| “ | I'm sorry to say so but sadly it's true that edit conflicts can happen to you.[38] |
” |
The Cat in the Hat
| “ | The Waiting Place
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win? |
” |
| — Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go! | ||
FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER
That wasn't me, it was my brother.
My brother edits little bits
Fixing words like its and it's.[45]
———
*Non-geeks should refer to our article on POP3.
A Little Dab'll Do Ya!  |
Too Many Dabs[46]
|
Too Many Debs _(cropped).jpg)
|
Aides-mémoire
| Bonus video | |
|---|---|
|
Ön Beyond Zebra!
"I'm telling you this
'cause you're one of my friends.
My alphabet starts
where your alphabet ends! ...
So, on beyond Z!
It's high time you were shown
That you really don't know
All there is to be known."
- ^ Lathem, Edward Connery, ed. (2004) [1976]. "The Beginnings of Dr. Seuss: An Informal Reminiscence". Dartmouth College. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
- ^ Dr. Seuss's ABC
- ^ One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
- ^ I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! and Other Stories
- ^ I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!
- ^ Come over to My House
- ^ Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!
- ^ The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories
- ^ I Am Not Going to Get Up Today!: "All around the world / they're getting up. / And that's okay with me. / Let the kids get up in Switzerland / ... or Memphis, Tennessee. / Let the kids get up in Alaska / ... and in China. / I don't care. / Let the kids get up in Italy. / Let the kids get up in Spain. / Let them get up in Massachusetts / and Connecticut and Maine. / Let the kids get up in London / and in Paris and Berlin. / Let them get up all they want to. / But not me. / I'm sleeping in."
- ^ Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!: "Just go. Go. GO! / I don't care how. / You can go by foot. / You can go by cow."
- ^ The Butter Battle Book: ""My wonderful weapon, the Jigger-Rock Snatchem, / will fling 'em right back just as quick as we catch 'em."
- ^ Oh, the Places You'll Go!: "You have brains in your head. / You have feet in your shoes. / You can steer yourself any direction you choose."
- ^ If I Ran the Circus: "Ei! Ei! What a circus! My Circus McGurkus! / My workers love work. They say, "Work us! Please work us! / We'll work and we'll work up so many surprises / You'd never see half if you had forty eyeses!"
- ^ You're Only Old Once!
- ^ Oh Say Can You Say?
- ^ Great Day for Up!
- ^ Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
- ^ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
- ^ I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew: "And I learned there are troubles / Of more than one kind. / Some come from ahead / And some come from behind. / But I've bought a big bat. / I'm all ready, you see. / Now my troubles are going / To have troubles with me!"
- ^ And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
- ^ The Foot Book
- ^ Green Eggs and Ham
- ^ Horton Hatches the Egg
- ^ My Book about ME
- ^ Horton Hears a Who!: "I'll just have to save him. Because, after all, / A person's a person, no matter how small."
- ^ Horton Hatches the Egg: "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. / An elephant's faithful, one hundred per cent!"
- ^ Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!: "Think left and think right / and think low and think high. / Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!"
- ^ Daisy-Head Mayzie
- ^ Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories
- ^ What Pet Should I Get?
- ^ Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose
- ^ The King's Stilts
- ^ Bartholomew and the Oobleck
- ^ The Shape of Me and Other Stuff
- ^ If I Ran the Zoo: "In the Far Western part / Of south-east North Dakota / Lives a very fine animal / Called the Iota. / But I'll capture one / Who is even much finer / In the north-eastern west part / Of South Carolina."
- ^ Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories: "I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, / But down here at the bottom, we, too, should have rights."
- ^ Horton Hears a Who!: "Are you sure every Who down in Who-ville is working? / Quick! Look through your town! Is there anyone shirking?"
- ^ Oh, the Places You'll Go!: "I'm sorry to say so / but, sadly, it's true / that Bang-ups / and Hang-ups / can happen to you."
- ^ There's a Wocket in My Pocket
- ^ Fox in Socks
- ^ The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.
- ^ Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book
- ^ The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins
- ^ The Cat in the Hat
- ^ Hop on Pop: "FATHER / MOTHER / SISTER / BROTHER / That one is my other brother. / My brothers read a little bit. / Little words like / If and it."
- ^ Too Many Daves
- ^ Green Eggs and Ham: "I will not eat them in the rain. / I will not eat them on a train. / Not in the dark! Not in a tree! / Not in a car! You let me be! / I do not like them in a box. / I do not like them with a fox. / I will not eat them in a house. / I do not like them with a mouse. / I do not like them here or there. / I do not like them ANYWHERE! / I do not like green eggs and ham! / I do not like them, / Sam-I-am."
Discuss this story