If you don't know what "Comic Con" is, and wonder what the fuss is about, it's a 42-year old comic book convention that got huge over the last 12-years with the merging of comic and movie efforts, then went into orbit over the last 5-years with the growth of digital media and it's social media component. Last year, the event drew over 120,000 people, and it looks to break that number in 2011.
Comic Con reps announced the action on Twitter, then watched in horror as the online ticket sales service provider named TicketLeap.com, fell into a ditch. Overwhelmed with visitors trying to snap up badges. Eventually, #sdcc - or "San Diego Comic Con" - became a Twitter Topic Trend.
This is the @ComicCon tweet that got things started:
Comic-Con 2011 Attendee Registration will open on Saturday, February 5 at 9 a.m. PT. More info to follow at: http://bit.ly/fh4QW. #comic_con
But after a few hours - just two really - patrons experienced problems because the TicketLeap.com page, which I visited to test the vendor system out, produced a message stating 'We are currently overcapacity. Try again momentarily. Reach us on Twitter @TicketLeap."
And people did just that; here are some examples.
bcddesign Brad Dressler
by DarkStitch
@ticketleap What to do if get 4-day option after 2.5hr, then click pay and get Over Capacity msg-Refresh, Back, SCREAM? #sdcc @Comic_Con
Jellebean Shannon Jelle
Right now there's nothing in the world I hate more than that stupid green little frog that mocks me #sdcc #ticketleap #epicfail
All of this was to the dismay of Comic Con's PR reps, which smartly used Twitter to send tweets of concern.
Comic_Con Comic_ConAnd this problem happened as people were trying to get tickets; hotel room blocks haven't even gone on sale yet, as @rkbentley asked:
We’re obviously not happy with this morning’s events. We are trying to find answers and get to the bottom of this.
1 hour ago
Comic_Con Comic_Con
While we know the process is slow and frustrating, badges are being processed and sold, so we will keep the site live for now.
39 minutes ago
rkbentley RK Bentley
#sdcc peeps this registration is just for tickets right? So, the #nerdpromcarnage for hotel rooms isn't even upon us yet, right?
Right. Not yet.
Now, as of 11:12, some are getting their tickets:
jennyfahhh Jennifer Mendoza
YAY I finally got my ticket! Thanks to @ticketleap for stealing 2 hours of my life! #sdcc here I come!! #ComicCon #sdcc #woohoo
Some. When I refreshed the screen, the overcapacity message propped up again at 11:14 AM PST. But then I'm going as a member of the press already; I had to testing the system for this blog post.
Stay tuned.
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