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Fake Steve Jobs wants to put the squeeze on AT&T's network with Operation Chokehold
Fake Steve Jobs, occasionally also known as journalist Dan Lyons, is fed up with AT&T's data network. The shoddy service AT&T has provided for iPhone users, especially in major cities, has become such an issue that AT&T itself recently released an iPhone app that allows users to report locations where the network has failed them. Lyons isn't going to take it anymore.Although I doubt that you'll notice poor network performance - well, any poorer than what AT&T already delivers, anyway - some readers are up in arms about Operation Chokehold. Fake Steve has already received some threatening email, and AT&T is certainly not amused. Leander Kahney over at Cult of Mac got a comment from AT&T on the situation:
"We understand that fakesteve.net is primarily a satirical forum, but there is nothing amusing about advocating that customers attempt to deliberately degrade service on a network that provides critical communications services for more than 80 million customers. We know that the vast majority of customers will see this action for what it is: an irresponsible and pointless scheme to draw attention to a blog."
FSJ has responded to concerns about Chokehold, posting an update that makes it clear it's not malicious: "I really don't want to cause any actual harm to my fellow AT&T users. Quite the opposite - I feel as if we're all caught in the same horrible prison, suffering alongside one another. All we really want to do is to show AT&T how angry people are about their lousy service. A nice spike of traffic would be a way to make that known."
So, what can an iPhone user do to suck up the maximum bandwidth? Make sure your Wi-Fi is off, and then give some of the following suggestions from Fake Steve's commenters a try. Finding a full-length movie on YouTube is a good bet, and so is streaming your own video with the new Ustream Broadcaster app. Some high-definition, bandwidth-sucking videos can also be found at Akamai's iPhone test site.
What say you, Download Squad readers? Will Fake Steve's "digital flashmob" have any effect on AT&T or its network? Do you plan to participate?
UPDATE: FSJ is having a grand time on his site today, featuring endorsements and condemnations from the usual suspects. He elaborated yesterday on his point, which was protest, suggesting people simply form flashmobs:
"Another idea and perhaps the best one: Let's form actual flash mobs outside AT&T stores and put duct tape over their mouths."
We're guessing it's a lot easier to fire up UStream and blather for a bit than get people out of their offices, but OK.
Comments
10
Subscribe to commentsVelcrocoreDec 16th 2009 10:55PM
What'll probably end up happening:
I'll open up youtube to see if the data network really slowed down, in turn adding to the slow down.
Curiosity killed the cat?
ScooterGDec 16th 2009 11:03PM
What's an iPhone?
BrianDec 16th 2009 11:11PM
God I hope people do this.
I don't want FSJ to suffer the consequences, but I want to see AT&T's network die. I mean bleed. I mean suffer. I mean have wide spread outages.
TravisDec 16th 2009 11:53PM
Are iPhones the only 3G phones on AT&T?
KrazyCalvinDec 17th 2009 12:19AM
I swear... some assholes out there seem to think that some magic genie is running the cell phone companies and that said genie is just holding back on waving some magic wand. Certainly blanketed coverage would be a nice thing but lets be realistic...
VolomanDec 17th 2009 8:25AM
I hope it works. I don't have AT&T but i know prices for cell phones/plans haven't changed in over twenty years, you'd figure with all of this new fancy tech we'd have a few reliable networks on a budget made for those suffering in the recession, or even just a cheap alternative to pay-per-min. You give shoddy reception to customers you've been screwing for years.. a good few hours of downtime wont hurt, and maybe put things in perspective.
cybercapitalistDec 17th 2009 8:46AM
We could always switch to another company and another phone... but our culture loves our iPhones too much to let that happen. Maybe we should be complaining to Apple for not releasing the iPhone on other carriers... food for thought.
JamesDec 17th 2009 1:29PM
I work at AT&T for 2 Years. My time there was memorable with my fellows employees. My other memories were of the scum, brain wash corporate slugs of employers.
Training about the rapid 3G network they so claim was ridiculous and redundant (A+ IT Certified) and trivial. Not only did they educate us on network and reliability of their so called network, but they told us indirectly to lie about the bandwidth that the iphone receives. This came to a surprise to me at many trainings that I attended during my time. Lie about the iphone data transmission? Why would they want us to do that? AT&T cares more of the iphone sales then establishing more towers in more places. AT&T knows of the attachment of MAC users society and uses this to their advantage. I personally know the number of iphones being sold as new activations in the NEW ENGLAND region. All I have to say is that number does not come close to the number of cell towers that can transmit the provided data for all of their 3G devices. AT&T 3G service UMTS signal is still very much limited to data traffic , unlike Verizon and Sprint CDMA/wiMAX technology that can exceed more then 20MB. Verizon and Sprint limits their data bandwidth to the markets level. AT&T can not accomplish this feet, because of their dual communication signal , GSM/UMTS. All though AT&T is the largest wireless carrier right now, they have not yet receive the JD Power awards due to their poor customer service.
They push their employees to mention about a survey that the customer will receive within 5days. This survey is about AT&T personal experience with the associate that help them. Not AT&T itself. If the customer does understand this and decide to give a bad review about AT&T not the personal experience with associate. Then the associate gets in trouble and money deducted on his pay. This could even lead to a point on their dismissal. This system is all probability and risk.
I remember working there we did not help any one, we would just direct them to our wire line 611 customer care phone. Some thing they could of done themselves at home. We did not provide any credits, any exchanges or replacements of the iphone(even if you just open it and it didn't work, in front of my myself) whats so ever and charge a restocking fee for the return.
Like I said I work at AT&T for 2 years. These was one of the better careers I had in my life earning about 64,000 a year. But to be human is to make decision, to be humans is to make the honest and best decision.To be human is to learn and live with each other in peace. Working at AT&T was not to be human, working at AT&T was to be a heartless a non caring wolf that only lurks to feed. I hope you are reading this Fake Steve Jobs. I have more inside experience and know scandals that AT&T has implemented on their employees and users. I not only work their but observed the relationships,cruelty, society, tech work, IT work and protocols & regulations.
JeffODec 17th 2009 4:30PM
I think it matters which iPhone you have. One of AT&T's issues is do they sink more money into the old network or into the new 3G, or into the next 4G?
I have the 1st-gen iPhone. It sucks. I'm paying all my bills, but not getting all my service. I can go to some towns and I have no service at all. Small towns, but still - in the center of town, there's no service. I shouldn't have to pay 100% of my bill if I don't have coverage along state highways. Back in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains, I can understand.
Speaking of which, I was actually in a mountain valley with friends where it wouldn't be reasonable to demand service, and two friends were using their cells. One was with Verizon and the other with TMobile (or was it Sprint?). I had to travel 20 miles towards Leadville and stand within a block of the center of town to get reception.
This is typical for my iPhone.
RamboDec 18th 2009 10:29AM
Count me in on this and every iPhone user at my work.