Olympic web sites lost to a bureaucrat's inactivity

**Acro** · 01-14-2008, 09:35 AM

Games website lost for a pittance

Internet users wishing to find information on the Athens 2004 Olympic Games are no longer able to access its official website after the government failed to renew the rights to the domain name.

A 29.30-euro fee required by site owners to renew domain name ownership rights every two years has not been paid for the athens2004.com or for the athens2004.gr site.

An attempt to access the official site for one of the most important events ever held in the country will bring up a page with links to the Beijing 2008 Games and the International Olympic Committee.

“At a time when Google is paying an enormous amount of money to hold onto every piece of information, we have allowed the content to be lost. This is a developed way to record history and it is a shame for it to be lost,” said the president of the Association of Hellenic Internet Users (EEXI), Nikos Vassilakos.

In contrast, Internet users can still find official information for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and on Australia in 11 different languages, including Greek.

“For the same reason, the site for the Greek presidency of the European Union has suffered the same fate,” added Vassilakos.

The eu2003.gr site, used by Greece while holding the European Union’s rotating presidency in the first half of 2003, is no longer operating.

Article from Kathimerini Daily.

**tetrapak** · 01-14-2008, 09:42 AM

This story reminds me the big balagan of the (construction) preparation for the Athens Olimpic..

**Gerry** · 01-14-2008, 09:45 AM

What a bonehead move!

**Acro** · 01-14-2008, 09:46 AM

What is "balagan" ?

This has nothing to do with the Olympic games - the best (and most expensive) in modern history, but with the inability of a person responsible for the domain renewals to ensure they get renewed.

**draggar** · 01-14-2008, 10:06 AM

Two words:

AUTOMATIC RENEWAL

**Makis77** · 01-14-2008, 10:35 AM

one word: roba!

**Gerry** · 01-14-2008, 10:36 AM

This ranks right up there with the "former" google employee who mistakenly deleted google.de that a domainer caught.

Stupid is what stupid does.
Forrest Gump

How does that look in Greek?

**Acro** · 01-14-2008, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Makis77

one word: roba!

LOL pes ta!

**katherine** · 01-14-2008, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Doc Com

This ranks right up there with the "former" google employee who mistakenly deleted google.de that a domainer caught.

micro$oft deserves a special mention for letting valuable names like passport.com hotmail.co.uk etc expire

Back then there was NO redemption period for .com... heads should have been rolling.

And what about the countries who failed to secure their name under their own extension... shame shame but good for domainers.

**Banned: domain newbie** · 01-14-2008, 12:55 PM

who cares.., but Acroplex - i liked your eye better

**Focus** · 01-14-2008, 01:45 PM

you think they would be able to get them back...lol

**Banned: domain newbie** · 01-14-2008, 01:55 PM

focus, a new idea for your shirts "Olympic Games lost to cybersquatters"

**Marketing.magnet** · 01-14-2008, 04:21 PM

I agree with dragger
auto renewal

**Dale Hubbard** · 01-14-2008, 04:54 PM

Glitch only. They still hold rights to olymi* (almost) but in context no big deal. Who's going to squat that?

**katherine** · 01-14-2008, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by aZooZa

Glitch only. They still hold rights to olymi* (almost) but in context no big deal. Who's going to squat that?

Guess how many newbies enter the market every day and rush for TM domains

**AnnaS** · 01-14-2008, 05:23 PM

Yes, but if this story becomes big news, it brings more new comers into the domain name business, so more potential buyers for name sellers, and buyers for software, Hosting and services such as content writing

**Acro** · 01-14-2008, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by AnnaS

Yes, but if this story becomes big news, it brings more new comers into the domain name business, so more potential buyers for name sellers, and buyers for software, Hosting and services such as content writing

Completely off the chain, but oh well.

**tetrapak** · 01-15-2008, 03:45 AM

Originally Posted by Acroplex

What is "balagan" ?

This has nothing to do with the Olympic games - the best (and most expensive) in modern history, but with the inability of a person responsible for the domain renewals to ensure they get renewed.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/balagan

I have not said anything about the Olympic game itself, just the preparations. The news were full of the construction problems in Greece before the Olimpics started.

**Acro** · 01-15-2008, 07:24 AM

Originally Posted by tetrapak

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/balagan

I have not said anything about the Olympic game itself, just the preparations. The news were full of the construction problems in Greece before the Olimpics started.

I don't know what "Olimpics" is. Learn how to spell. There were delays in completing certain venues but there were no construction problems.

**tetrapak** · 01-15-2008, 09:31 AM

Acroplex, thanks for making a note about my typo, although as you can see i have written the correct version one sentence earlier. I hope you speak another 3 languages besides english... I have no idea why you got so pissed about my semile (letting a domain to expire / construction problems). There was absolutely no need for you to get to this level.