While companies like Google and Verizon are mobilizing to support net neutrality, an AT&T executive is “suggesting” that company employees use their personal email accounts to fight against it. In what can only be described as an amazingly dickish movie, AT&T senior executive vice president James Cicconi sent out an internal email that said:
We encourage you, your family and friends to join the voices telling the FCC not to regulate the Internet.
It can be done through a personal e-mail account by going to www.openinternet.gov and clicking on the ‘Join the Discussion’ link.
Wow…just wow. If you’ve been reading my stuff for TheFeed then you know that I don’t think much of AT&T. A high-level executive asking employees to use their personal email accounts to stand up against net neutrality makes me think even less of the company. It’s just slimy.
What do you think of Cicconi’s email? Does the man have no shame?
… I don't know. It's a cause. Maybe not one I agree with, but a cause none the less.
If Teabaggers that work in the insurance industry ask their employees to stand up against the public option, is that dickish?
If people who work in the adoption industry ask their employees to stand up against abortion, is that dickish?
If Oren Peli asks his crew to demand "Paranormal Activity", is that dickish?
I picked questions across the spectrum because… they're all opinionated questions. My answer is "yes" to most of them, but that's just my opinion. Whether or not it's universally dickish is a huge debate.
AT&T has a long history of shady things (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT&T under "Criticism and Controversies). After all, they were started by the most ruthless banker and businessman that ever lived (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._P._Morgan).
What a douschebag. Can't believe AT&T dare make themselves out to be the good guys in the Net Neutrality issue.
They are appalled at the idea of becoming dumb pipes. Where do they get the nerve to think they can dictate what services i use on a data connection? I think that as a consumer I have even more rights if they cap me. With a cap, I am buying that much bandwidth per month and should damn well be able to use it as I want. Seriously, has anyone ever had the electric company come to their house and ask them to switch to "their" brand of appliances since you are taking electricity off of their grid? Nope. I hate to say it, but I hope broadband becomes a utility.
@Ray
You will like this then..he plain says upgrades will cease :http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139696/Verizon_chief_rips_net_neutrality_?
I just can't help myself…I must crap on ATT more. Like all the rest of the telco companies they are making data plans mandatory on anything that is a smartphone. I know most people on this blog utilize that service if indeed they have a smartphone. However some customers just want the look, OS, and qwerty. Now what this is leading up to from my pov is that if ATT supports per byte billing (read metering) then why make all the plans cost the same? Why not charge per byte for the person who wants the device but will only use 25mb per month?
Telco, cable, and insurance companies are horrible simply because they don't compete.
I'm off ATT the day Apple makes themselves available (legally) on Verizon. I'm guessing next summer.
I can't imagine Apple would be too happy if they were lumped in to the same boat as ATT on this one
Instead of putting all this effort towards fighting net neutrality, why doesn't AT&T use all this energy to make its network good — just an idea there….
@rpad perfect idea ray!! my opinion is im against what ATT is doing here with net neutrality, because i am a supporter of it.