Yes, it is possible to create such a script and here it is:
<!-- language: lang-js -->
// ==UserScript==
// @name Unprotect questions
// @namespace https://meta.stackexchange.com/users/158100/rene
// @version 0.3
// @description Unprotect questions in a batch
// @author rene
// @match https://*.stackexchange.com/tools/protected-questions
// @grant none
// ==/UserScript==
(function(fkey) {
'use strict';
// this determines which question to select, available fields are: 'title','questionDate','displayname','protectedDate','answerCount','deletedCount'
const filter = (i) => i.protectedDate < Date.parse('2017-11-01') && i.displayname === 'rene';
// I need the question id, so regex it out of the url
const parseUserOrQuestionId = /.*(?:\/(?:questions|users)\/(\d+))/g;
// map each TD to a property of a question object
function mapRow2Question(tr) {
// this are the TD elements
var qitems = tr.children;
var q = {};
// map a column to a property, with a few to spare at the end
var key = ['title','questionDate','displayname','protectedDate','answerCount','deletedCount','qurl','dummy', 'uurl','questionid', 'dummy2', 'userid'];
for (var j=0; j<qitems.length; j++) {
var qitem = qitems[j];
if ( j === 0 || j === 2) {
// this td contains an anchor element
// I keep the text and the href in separate properties
qitem = qitem.children[0];
// the href hold the id (question or user)
var m = parseUserOrQuestionId.exec(qitem.href);
if (m !== null) {
// map to the right column
q[key[j+9]] = m[1];
}
q[key[j+6]] = qitem.href;
q[key[j]] = qitem.textContent;
} else if (j === 1 || j === 3) {
// these are date columns
q[key[j]] = Date.parse(qitem.textContent);
} else {
// these are integer columns
q[key[j]] = Number.parseInt(qitem.textContent, 10);
}
}
q.src = tr; // for feedback in the UI
return q;
}
function search(filter) {
var questions = document.getElementById('content').querySelectorAll('tbody')[0].children;
var qlist = [],
selected =[];
for(var i=0; i<questions.length; i++) {
qlist.push(mapRow2Question(questions[i]));
}
// apply the filter, keep the new array around
selected = qlist.filter(filter);
// add checkboxes so you can deselect a question
selected.forEach( (i) => {
var qtd = i.src.children[0];
var cb = document.createElement('input');
i.selected = true;
cb.type='checkbox';
cb.checked ='checked';
cb.addEventListener('click', function() { i.selected = !i.selected; });
qtd.insertBefore(cb, qtd.children[0]);
});
return selected;
}
// clumsy way to add the buttons in the header
function addButton(txt, handler) {
var tabs = document.getElementById('tabs');
var hdr = tabs.parentNode;
var btn = document.createElement('button');
btn.addEventListener('click', handler);
btn.textContent = txt;
btn.style.margin = "5px";
hdr.insertBefore(btn, tabs);
return btn;
}
// this will unprotect the question for real
function unprotect(qid, callback) {
var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
xhr.open('POST', '/question/unprotect');
xhr.addEventListener('load', function() {
if (xhr.status !== 200) {
console.log('no success for ', qid);
if (callback) callback();
}
});
xhr.setRequestHeader("Content-type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
console.log('about to do post /question/unprotect', "id=" + qid.toString() + "&fkey=" + fkey.toString());
// uncomment the next line to actual call un-protect
// xhr.send("id=" + qid.toString() + "&fkey=" + fkey.toString());
}
// add the buttons and wire the click events
function init() {
var timer,
questionsToUnprotect = [],
unprotectBtn,
start;
start = addButton('search', function() {
questionsToUnprotect = search(filter);
unprotectBtn.disabled = false;
start.disabled = true;
});
unprotectBtn = addButton('unprotect', function() {
unprotectBtn.disabled = true; // we don't want to fire multiple times
// get all protected questions that are selected
var work = questionsToUnprotect.filter( (i) => i.selected);
// to prevent throttle, go over them every 5 seconds
timer = setInterval(function() {
var item = work.shift();
if (item === null || item === undefined) {
clearInterval(item);
start.disabled = false;
} else {
if (item.selected) {
unprotect(item.questionid, function() {
// error handling
item.src.children[0].style.backgroundColor = 'red';
clearInterval(timer); // make sure to stop
});
item.src.children[0].children[0].checked = false;
}
}
}, 5000);
});
unprotectBtn.disabled = true;
}
init();
})(StackExchange.options.user.fkey);
You simply visit /tools/protected-questions and then the script will add two buttons, search and unprotect. Click Search to select the question that match the filter (hardcoded in the script for now). The questions that are selected will have a checkmark in front of them. Deselect any questions you don't want to unprotect. Click Unprotect to start the processing of the questions that are still selected. To prevent issues it handles a question every 5 seconds.
I tested it on a few questions on MSE as I didn't want to annoy anyone.
Notice in the code there are these lines:
// uncomment the next line to actual call un-protect
// xhr.send("id=" + qid.toString() + "&fkey=" + fkey.toString());
They work as advertised. It allows you play with the script without it doing any damage (at least that I noted).
The filter criteria are at the moment not settable from the UI. You have to alter the script. The filter is near the top:
// this determines which question to select, available fields are: 'title','questionDate','displayname','protectedDate','answerCount','deletedCount'
const filter = (i) => i.protectedDate < Date.parse('2017-11-01') && i.displayname === 'rene';
You want to create a predicate after the => that returns true for those questions that you want to have unprotected. You'll have to change it anyway as I don't believe you want to only unprotect questions that I protected ...
You can find the source on [github](https://github.com/rschrieken/SmallButHandy/blob/master/batchunprotect.user.js)(direct [*install*](https://github.com/rschrieken/SmallButHandy/raw/master/batchunprotect.user.js))
I tested the script on TamperMonkey with Chrome and like to keep it that way.