Ordering 2002 Olympic tickets online at
www.saltlake2002.com Tuesday took "repeated efforts" to
reach the site, according to Mike Gorrell of the SALT LAKE
TRIBUNE. A computer with a high-speed Internet connection
"seems to have been key to the relative ease or frustration"
of accessing the site. Gorrell: "Anecdotal evidence
suggests people with DSL lines or better got through with
minimal delays. People reliant on standard telephone modems
had trouble getting in and moved from page to page with
patience-trying slowness." The SLOC "refrained" from
providing an official report on the first day of ticket
sales and was to hold a press conference this morning to
"discuss the process." Tickets.com spokesperson John
Nicoletti's "only observation" was "overall, we're hearing
good things. Things are moving along well" (SALT LAKE
TRIBUNE, 10/11). USA TODAY reports the Web site "was
swamped" and phones "rang repeatedly," as consumers "were
complaining about the complicated and time-consuming online
ticketing system." Ordering through the Web is a nine-step
process that the SLOC said takes about 45 minutes, "not
including time to download 19 pages of instructions" (USA
TODAY, 10/11). SLOC President Mitt Romney "had warned of a
first-day overload," but said that orders "would taper off
to a more manageable pace in coming weeks." SLOC Dir of
Games Services John Benion: "If it keeps up at this rate,
we'll be sold out in 10 days" (AP, 10/11).
