The funny thing about the past, is that the further you get away from it, the more clouded it becomes. Your views on Vanilla are valid, while at the same time, there is an honest fan base for vanilla. For some reason some people choose to only remember certain things. Good or bad, and they tend to forget that there is always another side of the coin.
Excellent post. I have read similar things on other sites as well. As the old saying goes, it is not just what you know, but who you know. So let me take a moment to say Hello Matticus, nice to meet you :) I'm new to the blogging world myself but am enjoying it more and more that I do it. I've added you to my list of blogs, and will be adding you to my blogroll as well. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
As long as something was learned, in the end it really does not matter the screw up, real life or in game. I've learned that 99% of the time, the person that did screw up, knows it as soon as it happened, as a raid lead I don't need to bash them about it, they know it, they admit it and as long as they learn, or ask for help so that they can learn, all is good. In the end we all grow and maybe others will learn from it with out having to go thru the same mess up.