🚀 go-pugleaf

I recently switched my phone service from AT&T to MCI in a fit of pique
on hearing about the threat from AT&T concerning the use of backing
store in the X server.

Predictably enough, AT&T called me last weekend to ask me if I wanted
to switch back. First they told me they had dropped their rates. Then
they asked me who I switched to. Finally they asked me why I changed.
"Because of the X backing store fuss." Surprisingly, the sales droid on
the other end of the line wanted to know more! So I launched into a 20
minute long tirade about software patents, backing store, the X window
system, why I think software patents are bad, and so on. He was saying
stuff like "well, I'm going to talk to my supervisor about this! I'm
writing this all down, and I'm not just going to throw it away!".

Even if I did not accomplish anything, it was fun, in a perverse sort
of way, to yell about this to someone at AT&T. But it seems that the
phone company part of AT&T is vitally interested in keeping their
customers. So if anyone else changed their phone service for the same
reasons that I did, please don't hesitate to let AT&T know exactly why
you switched. If enough people make enough noise someone at the top is
bound to notice.
--
Byron Rakitzis
byron@archone.tamu.edu