Noon update: it's a bit of a bodge

Well, if the ticket allocation process runs as smoothly as the registration process, it's going to be a hell of a computer meltdown when the things go on sale.

The glastonburyregistration.co.uk address (given out on the BBC News website this morning and still being quoted on the official Glastonbury site) is currently displaying the following:

Registration for this year's Glastonbury Festival will start from 8am 1st February.

Note, this service will be open from 1st to 28th February, 24 hours a day, so take your time. There is no advantage to registering early or late.

For further information please visit the official web site at glastonburyfestivals.co.uk.

return to seetickets.com

However, the glastonburyregistration.com address is actually working at the moment. There's absolutely no information at all about privacy on the page - no indication of who will be holding the information you provide, no link to confirm the claims that data will be destroyed or an explanation of when this will happen. If you spend some time poking around, you can find a page three clicks from the form with a brief pledge from Michael Eavis:

"I assure you that your details will not be used for any other purpose"

and a stab at trying to be reassuring:

No information collected by registration will be offered for sale or use by any third party organisation. Unsuccessful ticket applicants will have their data destroyed and all ticket holders’ registration details and photos will be destroyed within one month of the event.

But surely SeeTickets are a third party organisation? And if they're not, then doesn't this mean they have the right reserved to use the data? And shouldn't this be clearly linked to from the page where the data is being collected, if not actually on that page?

So, what are they after? The picture stipulations are somewhat taxing - think you can upload any old jpg which shows your face? Think again:

Your Photograph
What kind of photos are acceptable?

* Head and shoulders photo, must be recent, clear, in sharp focus, with your entire face visible
* Please ensure you have a neutral expression with your mouth closed and eyes open, looking directly at the camera
* Please do not wear hats or anything that covers your face and be free of glare from glasses etc
* Must be taken against a plain and light background
* Please ensure your photo is correct, as you will not be able to modify it once registered
* Image file must be less than 400kb in size and in JPEG format.
* Your image will be resized to the correct dimensions automatically, however you must crop it yourself.
* Any applications that do not include a suitable photo will not be accepted

Remember, this is to go to a pop concert wearing a juggler's hat and to stand in a muddy puddle watching the Arctic Monkeys. If they carry on escalating their sense of self-importance, you're going to need to apply for a Visa to get in to the fields by 2011.

When we did the *am update, we were rushing off to have a shower and so on, so it was only later that we realised the majesty of this piece of advice:

If you're struggling to get access, it might be best to try in a couple of days, or at a non-peak time such as during the working day, early in the morning or late at night.

So, non-peak times are during the day, early in the morning and late at night, then? Which leaves... when, precisely?