I have no major problem with giving the course a 6, although I would rate it slightly higher.
I have always made a point of ignoring extraneous factors when rating courses. I find that almost impossible to do at East Lake. For starters, Bobby Jones is my all time hero. Playing the course with a member accompanied by one of the young caddies from the neighborhood, followed by lunch in the clubhouse and a visit through all the Bobby Jones memorabilia is one of the best overall experiences you can have in golf. It's pretty hard not to let that experience influence your opinion of the course.
I am probably too sensitive, but this thread seemed to be making fun of a place that I think is about as close to hallowed ground as there is in golf.
There have been many threads about East Lake on GCA over the years and there have been many comments that seem to question the quality of the course. The many changes to the Ross original are often cited. I think it is important to judge a course as it sits today, not how it might have been in the past. Also, I prefer to see the course from the member tees. If you catch the telecast today, notice the difference between the tournament tee and member tees on #6 and #17 for example. I only respect the opinions of those who have played the course.