True, although the average nerd-types that run a place like this can do it for next to nothing.

On the side, I run 6 sites, the largest of which probably has more data than is stored here. It has 1/3 the number of posts, but has a huge and very active photo gallery - total size including database and photos is currently about 10GB. My nightly automated job exports and compresses the db, and transfers it along with any updated server files (usually the photos) nightly. Typical time for the job over a 1.5 DSL connection - about 5 minutes.

My hosting provider does backups, just as they do here. But rule #1 when hosting a site - never trust the hosting provider. And in fact, based on the webmaster's post here, that was the primary reason for the data loss - the hosting provider screwed the pooch, an all too common occurence.

Local nightly backups for a site like this are easy and cheap to perform. All it takes is a little knowledge, an old PC, a pair of large drives (Linux software RAID for redundancy), and a broadband connection. Add a DVD writer for additional peace of mind if necessary.

Assuming one has an old PC laying around (a fair assumption for most nerds), total cost is well under $100 for a pair of 80GB drives, toss in another $50 if you want a DVD writer. Linux is free, as are all the tools necessary to perform the automated local backups. You end up with pretty bullet-proof redundancy, as you've got two independant, geographically dispersed backup sets - assuming your hosting provider is doing their part.

Yes, it takes some time and a little tweaking, and some may suggest it's overkill for a community site like this. Ultimately, that decision lies with the one paying the bills...given the valuable info hosted here, I'd suggest it's worth it, but that's not my call.