“Dear AT&T, Go To Hell”

The above was the title of a popular post on the Reddit frontpage today. In fact, there are two other stories on the Reddit frontpage right now (all in the top 10) taking a shot at AT&T. Is ANYTHING worth this sort of humiliation within a group of potential customers, more so if the group influencer’s like those that frequent Reddit or Digg? Apparently AT&T thinks so.

This was, of course, in  response to AT&T’s decision to start sharing information on movie and music pirates with the MPAA and the RIAA. These pirates are also AT&T Internet customers, of course. AT&T seems to think this is a good idea because it will help them earn brownie points with the studions, and in turn get a share of the entertainment pie for its internet and phone business. 

This, of course, is the worst example of groupthink and suit-talk possible. What AT&T did is betray its customers in the worst possible way, to the worst possible people. Anyone who reads technology blogs or visits popular collectives like Digg knows the reputation the RIAA and the MPAA enjoy.

Stuff like this does not fly today. I can’t wait for the bloggers to go crazy once the first lawsuits are served to AT&T customers. I hope some provider captures this golden opportunity by taking out ads on Digg, Reddit, Wired, Slashdot, etc. to the lines of “We’ll NEVER Sell You Out”.