You may have arrived at this page via a link on a protected page.
A protected page is one which can only be edited by sysops.
There are a number of possible reasons why a page might be protected.
1) Permanently
- Pages in the MediaWiki namespace are protected by default, for several reasons:
- Many messages are in plain HTML, hence users could insert malicious scripts,
- Vandalism of some messages would be extremely disruptive, for example changes to the text of the links in the sidebar would immediately be visible to all users,
- A few messages can cause the software to stop working if they are changed.
2) Semi-permanently:
- Protecting the Main Page from vandalism.
- Maintaining the integrity of past press releases.
- Protecting certain "system administration" pages.
3) Temporarily:
- Enforcing a "cool down" period to stop an "edit war," upon request.
- Protecting a page that has been a recent target of persistent vandalism or persistent edits by a banned user.
- Preventing changes to a page while investigating a possible bug.