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Wikipedia is about to undergo a change that won’t leap out at most users but that represents a significant step for the non-profit group:   starting in mid-June it is opening some 2,000 locked texts, for editing by the public at large. The texts have been locked or “closed” to editing because they were frequently the target of “malicious” editing, says Wikimedia, the parent company. The subjects of the pages vary hugely. Wikipedia depends on thousands of volunteers around the world to provide and edit content, with various levels for editing to ensure balance and accuracy. Visitors will begin to see a spyglass where previously there was a lock, to indicate that the new Pending Changes system is in place.

The Wikipedia blog notes that:

Articles that are frequently subjected to malicious edits have long been locked, sometimes for years, and protected from editing by new and anonymous users. Over the last year, the Wikimedia Foundation and volunteers from the community have been working to develop Pending Changes, a softer alternative to these editing restrictions. At present, only about 0.1 percent of the 3.3 million articles on the English Wikipedia are under edit protection. This tool should help reduce disruptive edits or errors to articles while maintaining open, collaborative editing from anyone who wants to contribute.