User talk:Spencer
Closing of Chuck Norris RD/Blurb
[edit]Spencer had recently posted Chuck Norris to RD and invited further discussion. I was preparing a response when Tone closed the discussion 87 minutes later. I'm not sure what the "appropriate discussion page" is, so I'm posting my intended response on the talk pages of Tone and Spencer. Hopefully, it can be seen as worthwhile and adding to the discussion:
Reiterating Blurb Support I posted once already, but as additional discussion has been invited, perhaps I can add more to the discussion: The debate over blurbing Chuck Norris shouldn’t hinge on his literal accomplishments--his filmography, his Nielsen ratings, or his martial arts titles. It should recognize that, while he was a mortal human, he was also more than just a man. He became one of the rare few in history to transcend the bounds of mere celebrity to become a Symbol. We need these Symbols to help us navigate the world, to remind us of the traits we value. Just as Einstein became a symbol for "Genius" and Gandhi for "Moral Courage," Chuck Norris became the global symbol for "Physical Omnipotence." Evaluating his significance based on his actual history would be like determining the value of Notre Dame cathedral by its property tax records--it would miss the point. It might provide the monetary value of the bricks, but it would entirely miss the importance of the structure in our collective human imagination. Just as it would be unthinkable not to blurb the passing of a figure such as Einstein or Gandhi, it should also be unthinkable not to blurb Chuck Norris.
--Legends are a vital genre in folklore, and the legend of "Chuck Norris" has become a secular archetype of the unstoppable force. Like Davy Crockett or George Washington before him, other real people whose legends eclipsed or complemented their actual histories, Chuck Norris was bequeathed a god-like persona through an organic, grassroots mythology. Chuck Norris was a modern-day King Arthur or Paul Bunyan, a "Knight at the Gate," or a "Guardian of the Perimeter." When he died, the world lost the living version of its Hero, perhaps the most prominent larger-than-life figure who still possessed a real, flesh-and-blood component. To reduce this significance to "memes" is to fail to understand the place he filled in society, as further evidenced by the sheer volume of cultural processing occurring since his passing. Chuck Norris, the man, may have died. Chuck Norris, the legend, will likely have a long afterlife. To fail to recognize this would constitute a serious oversight in the credibility of In the News.Ryan Reeder (talk) 07:47, 25 March 2026 (UTC)
- I see you were able to post this to ITN/C at the bottom of the discussion. Appreciate your participation in the discussion! Best, SpencerT•C 17:32, 25 March 2026 (UTC)
The Signpost: 31 March 2026
[edit]- News and notes: Entirety of Wikinews to be shut down
All languages to be shut down in May; first AI agent blocked; new name for AfD?
- In the media: AI ban, newspapers disrupt archiving; and antisemitism complaints
Perennial challenges with AI, demographic representation, and attacks from people buying media influence.
- Community view: Videos from WikiConference North America 2025 in NYC
In attendees' own words.
- Disinformation report: Cleaning up after Jeffrey Epstein, Peter Nygard, and Mohamed Al-Fayed
Countering the edits of the rich and dangerous.
- WikiConference report: WikiConference North America 2025 in NYC review
About the conference series, and this conference particularly.
- Obituary: Dr. Subas Chandra Rout
Rest in peace.
- Traffic report: Call in the dogs of war, soldier of fortune
Though of course the picture needs to be Chuck Norris...
- Gallery: Canadian Rangers participate in Operation Enduring Encyclopedia
Analogies between how Wikipedia works and how Canada works.
- Comix: n00bsitting
...!
Block me please
[edit]Please???? Just for a little bit! ~2026-13039-41 (talk) 23:01, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
Administrators' newsletter – April 2026
[edit]News and updates for administrators from the past month (March 2026).
Administrator changes
Checkuser changes
Oversight changes
Guideline and policy news
- The content of Wikipedia:Writing articles with large language models has been updated following a request for comment. It now prohibits using LLMs to generate content, with exceptions for translation and copy-editing.
Arbitration
- Following a motion, the GSCASTE extended-confirmed restriction in the Indian military history case has been narrowed. It now applies to caste-related topics in South Asia, and the preemptive protection remedy has been amended accordingly.
- The arbitration case Pbsouthwood has been closed.
- The arbitration case Maghreb has been opened. Evidence submissions in this case will close on 7 April.
April music
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| story · music · places |
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Christian Schwarz-Schilling needs attention on WP:ITNN. -- Gerda Arendt (talk) 19:28, 14 April 2026 (UTC)
Amakuru took care of it, - enjoy flowers, story ... --Gerda Arendt (talk) 20:18, 14 April 2026 (UTC)
Today's FA is Bridge, - a broad topic by many. My father loved bridges, and I wrote a few articles with that in mind (Empress Elisabeth Bridge, adding to Chain bridge and Müngsten Bridge, the latter for childhood memory), and also thinking of bridges between people. - I brought two bios to the same page, Christian Schwarz-Schilling and Bill Ramsey whose regular Swingtime I used to hear in the car driving to choir rehearsals. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 19:44, 17 April 2026 (UTC)