Can I shorten the network name in my status-bar so I have room for more icons? The network-operator name takes up that important real-estate in the top-left corner of my screen, on the left side of the notification bar. It takes up room that can better be used for notifications. 

Can the status/notification bar be hacked in some way to eliminate the network operator name? 

I've not yet seen any hack in the marketplace for this kind of thing. Would I have to write this myself?

FYI, using Android 2.x on a UK Motorola Razr
Yes you can root your phone then cook up your own ROM. The easiest way to cook up your own ROM is to use one of the online Kitchens such as UOTKitchen (http://uot.dakra.lt/kitchen/) or RomKitchen (http://romkitchen.org/). Then when choosing the status bar, edit it to suite your needs.