> The recently released Animatrix DVD seems to deny the theory that there was a single A.I. that starts everything. The two-part "Second Renaissance" short explains the rise of the machines, and it makes it sort of clear that the machines developed a bunch of artifificial intelligences.

But in the 1999 Matrix, Morpheus refers to a "singular consciousness that spawned an entire race of machines." If this consciousness is not in control of all the machines, it certainly did "start everything."

> I don't know where any of this comes from. How do you know that The Merovingian was supposed to be deleted? He's clearly rogue but we know nothing about him. Was the Oracle supposed to be deleted? I think she's acting independently of the system, as well.

Well, the entire reason for rogue programs is that they were supposed to be deleted. The only way to escape baing deleted was to go rogue.
>
> Also, something that I want to mention: I think that the reason Smith doesn't return to the Source is because Neo has corrupted him. In the first movie, Smith seems to be pretty willing to be deleted (he wants to leave the Matrix, at least), so I assume the reason he stays around is because of his synthesis with Neo.

That sounds like a good explanation. For one thing, the connection with Neo would not only allow him to stay, it would force him to. This goes along with what Smith says in the movie. ("I knew the rules, I knew what I was supposed to do, but I didn't. I couldn't. I was compelled to stay, compelled to disobey.")

knivetsil