Problems with IBM's results and scoring system continued to
be a media focus. The system crashed for more than a half hour
yesterday, and as of Wednesday night, the AP "still was not
satisfied with either the flow or reliability." ACOG
spokesperson Dick Yarborough: "We are watching [IBM's] progress
literally hourly." In Chicago, Phil Rosenthal notes "potential
fallout for IBM with stockholders and consumers also is
uncertain" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/25). In Atlanta, Unger & Kanell
note IBM's "flawed, but still-improving performance" on
Wednesday. ACOG had considered "pulling the plug" on the results
part of the system, but the problems, "which promoted a written
IBM apology -- have been subject to intense repair efforts"
(ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 7/25). But, in Tampa, David Whitley
writes, "If you own IBM stock, sell fast" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 7/26).
Headline on the front page of today's WASHINGTON POST: "IBM
system stumbles in Olympic moment." Mark Stahlman, President of
New Media Associates, a market research firm: "There is no other
way to interpret this but as a disaster. ... The public relations
issue here is very significant" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/25). WALL
STREET JOURNAL's header: "IBM Olympic embarrassments drag on as
computers produce late, bad data." Weber & Thomas writes IBM
"has failed" as its problems have been "both major ... and minor"
(WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/25). IBM has started faxing some results
to major news organizations, which in turn, are typing them into
their computers (WASHINGTON TIMES, 7/25).
SURF'S DOWN? On the Internet, IBM's Olympic Web site has
been "inundated with millions of hits since the Games started."
Officials said the site recorded 12 million hits alone on Monday
and the "company is scrambling to make adjustments so it doesn't
collapse under an avalanche of Internet queries" (Joan Swartz,
S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/25).
