diff --git a/webapp/config/default.log4j.properties b/webapp/config/default.log4j.properties
index 450474744..4c236aebe 100644
--- a/webapp/config/default.log4j.properties
+++ b/webapp/config/default.log4j.properties
@@ -1,67 +1,36 @@
-# The default.log4j.properties file will only get used if there is no
-# debugging.log4j.properties file in the directory otherwise, the debugging.log4j.properties will
-# be deployed and used.
-
-# If you want to have a logging config for debugging
-# and testing copy the default.log4j.properties file to debugging.log4j.properties,
-# make your modifications and deploy.  debugging.log4j.properties
-# will be used instead of the default.log4j.properties file.
-
-# levels:  <-- more messages ALL DEBUG INFO WARN ERROR FATAL OFF fewer messages --> 
-
-log4j.rootLogger=WARN, AllAppender 
+#
+# This file sets the log levels for the Vitro webapp.
+#
+# There are 8 principal logging levels, as follows:
+#     <-- more messages ALL TRACE DEBUG INFO WARN ERROR FATAL OFF fewer messages --> 
+#
+# The default logging level is specified on the rootLogger. Other levels can be
+# set for individual classes or packages as desired.
+#
+# Examples of setting levels:
+#    log4j.logger.edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.ConfigurationProperties=INFO
+#          -- sets INFO level for this one class
+#    log4j.logger.org.apache.catalina=INFO
+#          -- sets INFO level for all classes in "org.apache.catalina" package
+#             and any sub-packages.
+#
+# Documentation for this file can be found here:
+# http://logging.apache.org/log4j/1.2/apidocs/org/apache/log4j/PropertyConfigurator.html#doConfigure(java.lang.String,%20org.apache.log4j.spi.LoggerRepository)
+#
+# More information can be found here:
+# http://logging.apache.org/log4j/1.2/manual.html
+ 
 log4j.appender.AllAppender=org.apache.log4j.RollingFileAppender 
 log4j.appender.AllAppender.File= ${tomcat.home}/logs/${logfile.prefix}vitro.all.log
 log4j.appender.AllAppender.MaxFileSize=10MB 
 log4j.appender.AllAppender.MaxBackupIndex=10 
 log4j.appender.AllAppender.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout 
-log4j.appender.AllAppender.layout.ConversionPattern=%p %t %c - %m%n 
+log4j.appender.AllAppender.layout.ConversionPattern=%d{DATE} %-5p %c{1} %m%n
+
+
+log4j.rootLogger=WARN, AllAppender 
 
 log4j.logger.org.apache.catalina=INFO
 log4j.logger.org.diretwebremoting=ERROR
 
 log4j.logger.edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.ConfigurationProperties=INFO
-#log4j.logger.edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.auth=INFO
-
-#### setup a debugging logger
-log4j.appender.DebuggingAppender=org.apache.log4j.FileAppender
-log4j.appender.DebuggingAppender.File=${tomcat.home}/logs/${logfile.prefix}vitro.debugging.log
-log4j.appender.DebuggingAppender.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout
-log4j.appender.DebuggingAppender.layout.ConversionPattern=%5r %-5p [%t] %c{2} - %m%n
-
-#log4j.logger.edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp=DEBUG, DebuggingAppender
-#log4j.logger.edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.auth=DEBUG, DebuggingAppender
-#log4j.logger.edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.dao.jena=DEBUG, DebuggingAppender
-
-
-#### setup a debugging logger for the JSPs
-#JSPs need to have a line like:
-#<% org.apache.log4j.Logger logger = org.apache.log4j.Logger.getLogger("edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.jsp.SOMEIDFORYOURJSP"); %>
-log4j.appender.JspAppender=org.apache.log4j.FileAppender
-log4j.appender.JspAppender.File=${tomcat.home}/logs/${logfile.prefix}vitro.jsp.log
-log4j.appender.JspAppender.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout
-log4j.appender.JspAppender.layout.ConversionPattern=%5r %-5p [%t] %c{2} - %m%n
-
-log4j.logger.edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.jsp=INFO, JspAppender
-#log4j.logger.edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.jsp.edit=DEBUG, JspAppender
-
-
-####  setup a pellet logger
-log4j.appender.PelletAppender=org.apache.log4j.FileAppender
-log4j.appender.PelletAppender.File=${tomcat.home}/logs/${logfile.prefix}vitro.pellet.log
-log4j.appender.PelletAppender.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout
-log4j.appender.PelletAppender.layout.ConversionPattern=%5r %-5p [%t] %c{2} - %m%n
-
-log4j.logger.org.mindswap=WARN, PelletAppender
-
-
-####  setup a jena logger
-log4j.appender.JenaAppender=org.apache.log4j.FileAppender
-log4j.appender.JenaAppender.File=${tomcat.home}/logs/${logfile.prefix}vitro.jena.log
-log4j.appender.JenaAppender.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout
-log4j.appender.JenaAppender.layout.ConversionPattern=%5r %-5p [%t] %c{2} - %m%n
-
-log4j.logger.com.hp.hpl=WARN, JenaAppender
-
-# documentation for this file can be found here:
-# http://logging.apache.org/log4j/1.2/apidocs/org/apache/log4j/PropertyConfigurator.html#doConfigure(java.lang.String,%20org.apache.log4j.spi.LoggerRepository)