Kindle
Wired News reports that number portability will finally come to cellular customers next year. The cell companies have been dragging their heels on this for years now -- and no wonder: any industry so hostile to its customers naturally fears anything that makes it easier for customers to sever their ties with them. Ironically, the mobile telcos have cited the already high amount of churn in their business as evidence that number portability is unnecessary: "See? Our customers hate us so much today that they are willing to reprint all their business cards every six months with a new cellular number: what makes you think that they need to have that pain eased for them?" It's possible that number portability will ramp up cellular churn to the point where one or two of these companies actually get a customer-service clue and emerge as winners. I'd sign up in a hot second for any cellular company whose motto was: "We're less horrible than a root canal with a cold chisel."
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I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.