I liken it to the internet's very own Chernobyl. From a certain perspective, the resemblance is uncanny.

Site is built up on a stack of shoddy decisions, questionable policies and nepotistic hiring. Site gets lauded as the most Important Thing. Someone trying to protect the site from danger (danger created by their own actions), does something radical without understanding how it all works. The site explodes, spewing hazardous waste all over everything.

Okay some of that's a bit of a stretch but you get what I mean.