When does a joke stop being a joke and evolve into activism (or, depending upon your perspective, sabotage)? If you’re Dan Lyons or AT&T, I’d say we’ll find out tomorrow at noon Pacific time.

That marks the time when Dan Lyons, better known as Fake Steve Jobs, will see if his Operation Chokehold initiative comes to fruition. Operation Chokehold calls for all iPhone users to activate a data-intensive iPhone app in an attempt to clog AT&T’s network. You can read about it in The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs blog (just a fair warning, Fake Steve Jobs tends to use salty language now and then).

In case you haven’t heard of Lyons, he’s made his reputation by blogging as if he were Steve Jobs. It’s a satirical attempt to give us a glimpse behind the glasses and turtleneck of Apple’s co-founder and CEO. It’s all done for laughs, though the butt of Lyons’s jokes aren’t always laughing.

In this case, the target is AT&T. The exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the United States has been the focus of criticism ever since the Apple device hit the market. Users in many regions have complained about the service, claiming it’s unreliable and slow. To complicate matters, Ralph de la Vega, an AT&T executive in charge of consumer services, announced earlier this month that the company wishes to discourage the heaviest data consumers from using so much bandwidth.

This angered some iPhone owners. An iPhone contract with AT&T requires an additional data plan. The angry customers argue that the data plan indicates they should be able to access as much data as their plans allow. Think of it like an all-you-can-eat restaurant — the establishment shouldn’t cut you off just because you eat more than everyone else.

According to Victor Godinez of The Dallas Morning News, AT&T executives are not amused at Lyons’s jest. A company representative called the joke an irresponsible attempt to impact a massive communications network relied upon by millions of customers. Godinez reports that Lyons himself may think the joke has spiraled out of control. What started as a satirical call to action may become a genuine “digital flash mob” (a phrase Fake Steve Jobs uses in the original Chokehold post).

As for my opinion, I’m neither an iPhone owner nor an AT&T customer. Perhaps if I did own an iPhone and I had experienced trouble with AT&T’s service I might feel vindictive toward AT&T. But to be honest, I think if you disagree with a company’s policies or are dissatisfied with their service the best way to send the message is to stop being a customer. There’s no shortage of great smartphones on the market. If you’re really not happy with AT&T, consider moving to another carrier. That’s the best way to let the company know something needs to change if you’re to give them your business again.

Will iPhone users go through with Operation Chokehold? Will AT&T even notice? Will users who live in regions reported to have poor service be able to tell the difference (or even contribute to the operation)? Will the move cause AT&T to make any changes in policies? And would it make more sense to not use any AT&T services for a full day to demonstrate customer dissatisfaction? Don’t ask me — I’m waiting to see what happens tomorrow.