RetroTechCollection:Protection policy

This page is a RetroTechCollection policy.

All editors should follow it. Propose changes on the Village Pump before making them.

Protection limits who can edit, move, create or upload over a page. Administrators protect pages that the rest of the wiki depends on, such as the policies, the Main Page and widely used templates, and pages that have been vandalised repeatedly. Most of the wiki is not protected, and anyone can edit it.

A protected page shows a padlock at the top right. Clicking the padlock opens the section below for that level of protection, and holding the pointer over it shows the level and, for temporary protection, when it ends.

Protection levels

Semi-protection

Only logged-in users can make the protected change. Readers who are not logged in can still view the page's source and suggest changes on its talk page. Semi-protection is used for pages that attract vandalism from people who are not logged in.

Template protection

Only template editors and administrators can make the protected change. It is used for templates and other pages that appear on many pages, where a single bad edit would break a large part of the wiki.

Full protection

Only administrators can make the protected change. It is used for policies, legal pages, the Main Page and pages that have been vandalised despite lower protection.

Cascading protection

A page with cascading protection also protects every page and template shown inside it, at full protection, for as long as they stay included. Only administrators can edit the included pages while the cascade is in place. It is used where the templates a page shows must not change while the page itself is protected.

What can be protected

Editing: changes to the text of the page.
Moving: renaming the page. Move protection is usually set together with edit protection.
Creation: keeping a title from being created, for example a title deleted more than once.
Uploading: keeping a file from being replaced with a new version.

Protection can be indefinite or for a set period. The protection log for each page gives the reason.

Namespaces that are always protected

Pages in the MediaWiki: namespace hold the wiki's interface text, and only administrators can edit them.
Pages in the RTC: namespace can only be edited by template editors and administrators.

These pages do not need their own protection and do not show the padlock unless they are also protected individually.

Asking for a change to a protected page

Describe the change on the page's Discussion (talk) page, with a source for any fact, and an administrator will make it. You can also post at the Village Pump or email [email protected].

To ask for a page to be protected or unprotected, explain why at the Village Pump or on an administrator's talk page.

The padlock

The padlock appears on pages with edit protection or cascading protection. Pages that are only protected against moving do not show it, and the Main Page does not show it although it is protected.