Don't get me wrong. I'm having fun watching. Shot put in the original stadium - cool. Cheered the Iraqi soccer team. Watched the gymnasts' impossible moves. Give you all joy of them.
But people, just because you're in the land of the ancients doesn't mean you can turn back the Internet clock. I'm referring, of course, to the Athens04 site's ludicrous linking policy. It's 2004 - says so right here in your URL. Most people have caught on that links are a surrogate measure for attention, something you all could use just now, capice? You would want to encourage that, rather than discourage, one might think. Not to speak of the ludicrous idea of extraterritorial enforcement of your cute little 'link wrap' contract. One further clue: Beware of Americans bearing old media attorneys. I will now turn you over to Ken Layne for further taunting.
Some fine day - may it come soon - the IOC is going to realize their best bet is to get multiple webcams per venue, fire them up and let them run the whole time. Put the official media in the position of having actually add value to that raw feed, rather than just being another MSM choke point. Let us see all of any event we care about, even (gasp!) watch athletes who aren't from our home country, or events we aren't likely to win. Why, that might actually widen up the audience, getting more people interested enough to buy tickets and show up next time. But that would be wrong.
The Dubious Distinction award, for living in the last Internet century, goes to the International Olympic Committee and the Athens 2004 organizing committee.
Hat tip: Michael Totten for the Layne link.
Update: Oh, yeah, and don't even think of blogging the Olympics if you're a competitor. So now they'll Google you as well as run drug tests. Sic their media attorneys on you as well as pull your medal. I suppose this gets attention for the IOC, but not the right kind. So let's give them a Poison Oak leaf cluster to go with their Dubious Distinction medal - er, award.