| The term Spam is thought to be derived | | | | companies set up to send "bulk e-mail". |
| from a Monte Python skit. But the fact | | | | They are able to send billions of |
| that Spam makes up over 80 percent of | | | | messages a day. In the US there have |
| emails sent isn't that funny! | | | | been a number of lawsuits concerning |
| A Monte Python sketch performed in 1970 | | | | Spam and laws created trying to reduce |
| references the British rationing during | | | | the production. Therefore, it is |
| World War II. SPAM was one of the only | | | | becoming more prevalent that these |
| meat products that was readily available | | | | companies operate out of foreign |
| and not being rationed. Python's sketch | | | | countries. They have also changed their |
| is set in a café and every item on the | | | | soliciting methods to read "spam-free" |
| menu contains Spam lunch meat. A song | | | | which refers to a person who has chosen |
| repeating the word SPAM is being sung | | | | to "opt-in" by clicking a box near the |
| and is drowning out the waiter who is | | | | end of some enrollment form thereby |
| dictating the SPAM filled menu in | | | | agreeing to have updates or newsletters |
| detail. | | | | sent. Sometimes this box is pre |
| An instance of unsolicited commercial | | | | checked and you must unclick in order to |
| email was originally noted in 1978. | | | | "opt-out". These names are then sold to |
| Although it seems that the idea was born | | | | the bulk e-mailing companies. |
| years earlier when an unsolicited | | | | Spam filtering software is the best |
| electronic messaging using the media | | | | technology available at the present time |
| occurred by telegram in 1864! In the | | | | to reduce Spam. Spam filtering is |
| 1980's the term Spam started to be used | | | | included in most versions of anti virus |
| to describe annoying users of early chat | | | | software. It is pretty simple for |
| rooms who would repeatedly type the word | | | | spammers to sidestep these filters |
| Spam in an abusive manner to drive | | | | simply by misspelling keywords. Also, |
| others out of the room. Especially | | | | these filters often block e-mail that |
| others from rival groups surrounding | | | | you do want to receive because of key |
| said topic. They would also flood the | | | | words being misinterpreted. SPAM hits |
| screen with quotes from the Monte Python | | | | other venues besides email such as |
| sketch in the same manner. Soon rather | | | | instant messaging, chat rooms, |
| than being called flooding or trashing | | | | newsgroups, forums, mobile phones, |
| it became common place to refer to these | | | | online games, search engines, and blogs. |
| methods as spamming. Later it evolved | | | | For the time being it looks like the |
| to mean excessive multiple posting of | | | | only way to avoid a majority of Spam is |
| the same message. In the 1990's we | | | | to avoid traditional email all together. |
| began to see the excessive amount of | | | | Requiring a person to fill out a form |
| "get rich quick" schemes being | | | | that is in turn sent to the recipient |
| advertised in this manner. Commercial | | | | successfully blocks spammers. This is |
| spamming began in 1994 courtesy of two | | | | currently how many business and |
| lawyers advertising their immigration | | | | organizations including the White House |
| law services. Shortly there after the | | | | are handling their e-mail. |
| focus of spamming and anti spam efforts | | | | The term Spam is thought to be derived |
| moved to email and that is where the | | | | from a Monte Python skit but is not |
| focus of this phenomenon remains today. | | | | received by many as being humorous. |
| Most of us receive some type of Spam | | | | Spamming is a phenomenon that has been |
| everyday. Spam is incredibly easy and | | | | beneficial for some and a nuisance to |
| inexpensive to create and can be very | | | | the masses who make up the recipients of |
| profitable. There are a number of | | | | the billions of messages sent per day. |