webdoctor - 7:19 am on Dec 20, 2006 (gmt 0)

The lack of a backup is symptomatic. The ODP seemed to have become a playground for amateur bureaucrats.

Two minor points:

ODP editors (who do the editing) are not the ODP's system administrators.

AOL Operations (who do the system administration) are not the ODP's editors.

I guess you're talking about the editors when you say things like "amateur bureaucrats" and "well-meaning 'librarians'"- but what does this have to do with system administration? Or were you talking about AOL Operations? Or both? :-)