The federal "Cash for Clunkers" program had been running smoothly. The $3 billion program attracted more than 600,000 transactions; buyers took advantage of discounts ranging from $3,500 to $4,500 (to trade in an old car), creating a total of $2.6 billion in rebates.

Great numbers. A great program. But about 20,000 dealers found themselves out in the cold when the government's website crashed on the last day of the program. As a result, the Transportation Department extended the deadline for dealers to file reimbursement applications with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It's a good lesson for the government to learn. Whenever they roll out a program that needs a website to make it work, they had better be sure the servers are strong enough to handle the onslaught of traffic from people trying to take advantage.

For more on the "Cash for Clunkers" computer crash:
- check out this Philadelphia Inquirer article