via slashdot:
"Microsoft forgot to renew their hotmail.co.uk domain"
continued at the register:
"As a result, last month Microsoft lost its claim to the domain and it was duly returned to the open market to be picked up by whomever fancied it
Luckily, the domain was snapped up on the same day - October 23. The new owner - a good hearted soul - then proceeded immediately to contact Microsoft, inform the giant of its slip and arrange to hand back the domain.
Of course, while Microsoft's spinstresses tried to stall for time, the company was busy scurrying behind the scenes to sort out this embarrassing episode. It managed to contact hotmail.co.uk's new owner, grovel at their mistake and sort out the mess. By all accounts, hotmail.co.uk will be returned in a few days."
and it gets better....:
"In December 1999, Microsoft forgot to renew the domain name Passport.com, and so rendered its Hotmail service partially crippled. A Linux programmer, Michael Chaney, paid the $35 fee and promptly handed over ownership to Microsoft."
if i were either of these people, i would have held it hostage. just for fun.
