Admin response:
1) I make occasional backups, especially at times of stress, but I don't know what happens to them (they seem to be internal to the bulletin board software) and I can't access them, so I just have to trust that we COULD restore from them if we needed to.
2) I haven't updated the BB software, partly due to laziness but mostly due to nervousness about carrying out a complex and potentially irreversible process of which I have no experience in a situation where I can't be confident I can make backups and undo any mess I make.
3) I recognise that that makes me a rather inadequate admin, but I'd point out that I found myself in this role in a strange set of circumstances not entirely under my control. I'd be happy to cede my status (or share it) with someone with a better skill set in this area. I'd prefer to make such an arrangement with the blessing of Richard, but since he has asked me to delete his account here, and has told me he no longer reads my emails, it may not be possible to obtain that.