[frankbmd]

Once a problem like this occurs, bidders and consignors both ramp up their efforts to access the auction site to try to bid or follow their consignments. The timing of the problem at the peak activity of a normal auction was critical.

The irony is that thousands of folks continually trying to access the site because of the problem no doubt compounded the problem and made it worse and incapable of being resolved in a reasonable amount of real time as the countdown clock ticked away.

Pick your storm, but if a hurricane is large enough and strong enough, everybody gets blown away and wet. The service provider, the auction house, the bidders and the consignors all must pick up the pieces and move on.