Redvers and Jimbo made the claim that "Restrictions on editing - specifically the ability to prevent an article from being edited - have always existed and have always been used. Semi-protection actually *increased* the number of people able to edit, by doing away with the need to completely lock many articles."
So far as I remember, during the UseModWiki days there were no restrictions on editing for a good while. Only after extended debate did Larry lock the front page.
I believe it is false to claim that restrictions on editing have always been used.