[1] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2822721 "Airbnb has been offering to fix it, from the very beginning. From the beginning they offered to pay to get her a new place and new stuff, and do whatever else she wanted."
[2] http://ejroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html "I would be remiss if I didn’t pause here to emphasize that the customer service team at airbnb.com has been wonderful, giving this crime their full attention. They have called often, expressing empathy, support, and genuine concern for my welfare. They have offered to help me recover emotionally and financially, and are working with SFPD to track down these criminals."
Offering "tell us all you need" sounds cute but turns the victim into a begger.
As much as I sympathize with the unlucky and unfortunate circumstances of the victim, the ultimate responsibility lies on the renters. This is going to happen again as Airbnb grows bigger and more people join the site; it's inevitable, just as there exists crime in people's homes now. If you're planning to rent out your apartment for a week, you really should meet the rentee in person, take steps to secure your own possessions from possible theft in advance, and secure the proper insurance (whether that's obtained through a future Airbnb offering or privately through an insurance company). When you rent a hotel room, they typically provide a safe lock because the same risk of getting your possessions stolen exists; this is no different.
I'm not trying to be dismissive of the victim, it really sucks this happened to EJ and the Airbnb team has been very open to offering help from what I've noticed lately. Fortunately, justice was served to the perpetrator, which is the important part. What EJ needs to do now is press charges and sue Faith Clinton for emotional damage and theft. I don't know how much the press will pursue this, and who knows how much it will affect Airbnb's reputation. I have a feeling this will blow over and I think Airbnb has made it clear they're willing to help as long as EJ will accept it; it wouldn't affect my own willingness to rent personally because I know after 2 million nights you're probably bound to have a few lunatics. Interestingly, someone in the previous threads accurately predicted it was a meth tweaker who fit the profile of the ransacking.
I can easily see airbnb having major disagreements over some of the blog post. I can also see them not going public with those differences despite taking the hits that may come as a result. Of course even if they did go public, there'd be a good chunk of people attacking them for violating a user's privacy. On the other hand, if the user goes public and published the original emails as I challenge her to do, we will get a much clear view into what is going on. Until them, I remain undecided and refuse to form an opinion.