== A possible error on the main page today == 

 I see it still says "the encyclopedia that anyone can edit", despite the increasing use of semi-protection and protection on assorted article pages not just acutely in response to an immediate problem, but chronically. I know of several article pages that have not been in an "anyone can edit" state for months without remit. 

 To top it off, today I came across a talk page that was semiprotected. It is absolutely incorrect to ever protect a talk page! 

 I submit, therefore, that the "anyone can edit" phrase should be removed, since it isn't true any more. Alternatively, this tendency towards chronic protection can be stopped, and no more protection of talk pages occur. 

 Vandalism is of course a problem. But chronically protecting anything but the main page and stable templates isn't the answer; blocking vandals by IP is, and possibly adding a probationary status of some kind that kicks in before being blocked does (and is temporary if the bad behavior stops and remains absent long enough). Probationary status could block the editing of major, stable articles (the ones commonly chronically semiprotected now). It might also attach to newbies, but be removed by a history of good edits, only coming back if malicious edits are made. More good edits could remove it, with more being required the poorer your history. Blocking would still result from too many, malicious enough edits in too short a time period. 

 However, the use of protection in a chronic manner, save on the main page and templates, is not the answer, and makes this no longer "the encyclopedia that anyone can edit".