Wikipedia:Pending changes or semi-protection?

Pending changes protection or semi-protection? is an important question before requesting page protection of frequently vandalised pages.

Technical details of each protection type

Semi-protection is certainly the simplest: it doesn't allow any unregistered or new users from editing the semi-protected page. Pending changes is a lot more complicated, and explained below:

With pending changes revisions are marked as accepted (light blue) or pending (white for reverted and red for unreviewed).

Pending changes works as follows:

• If an unregistered or new user edits a page protected with pending changes, its edit is marked as pending, except when it is a revert to any accepted revision.
• If an autoconfirmed user who is neither a pending changes reviewer nor an administrator is editing a page protected with pending changes, behaviour depends on the status of the last revision:

• If the last revision is pending and the revision is not a revert to any accepted version, the revision is marked as pending.
• Otherwise, the revision is automatically accepted.

• If a pending changes reviewer or an administrator is editing a page protected with pending changes, the revision is always marked as accepted.

Pending changes reviewers and administrators can change the mark of revisions from pending to accepted.