Jimmy Wales wrote:
I have to admit, I keep on seeing the "If you only understood..." argument repeatedly made; that doesn't seem helpful. When communication breaks down, it's the responsibility of both parties to repair it.
I am entirely unclear as to what else I could communicate here, nor how much less aggressive I could possibly be.
The main lack of communication is between the front office and Wikipedians who are editing (or interested in editing) an article when it's protected without any explanation.
Take a look at en:Talk:Harry_Reid, for example. There was just a message by Danny that there were "some concerns", without any comment on to what they were, how they might be fixed, or really anything else besides "Harry Reid doesn't like our article".
It's hardly only newcomers who are baffled and offended by this sort of thing, either. Among the numerous complaintants on that talk page are several Wikipedians who have been here for 2+ years (e.g. User:Jamesday).
-Mark