[stretchwithme]

And the L in LDAP means "Lightweight"! Maybe its just in there for comedic effect.

[hapless]

LDAP was derived from X.500. By comparison, it is lightweight. LDAP contained just the barest minimum structure to express X.500 data. It was originally a protocol meant for clients that were too limited to speak X.500 protocols.

Look at it this way: LDAP is to X.500 as SNTP is to NTP.

SNTP is simple, because NTP is pretty simple. LDAP is a little bit hairy because X.500 was really, really, really hairy.

[arethuza]

Probably from the same people who put the "S" in SOAP

[nailer]

It's a lightweight implementation of X500 DAP. Compared to a full implementation, it is indeed cut down.