skylerdharkins, I understand what you are saying.
I am not sure why they do it the way it is, but I think they are trying to steer clear of the stampede situations where hundreds (or thousands?) of people are sitting at their computers watching the clock tick, ready to hit their key at exactly the right time to get the ideal permit.
Maybe someone will write an app that will watch the rec.gov site and email you when a specific permit type and date comes available. You can do that on ebay and craigslist.
