he gets to his spam. He sent two examples, one positive and one negative.
The Good Type
I don't normally reply to unsolicited e-mail. But damn it, I have to admit I'm interested in your casino banner program. Tell me more. A few $'s extra never hurt.
The Bad Type
Dear Chrystine,
Thank you so much for writing me. This is so exciting! I am new to the Internet and when someone decides to write me from a casino it is very exciting! At first, I was concerned because I usually get unsolicited e-mail from sleazy pornography sites ... but not you Chrystine! I was happy to get an e-mail about how to make money! I like to make money through hits! Please tell me more!
No, actually I would like to know why you spell your name with a "Y." Are you a slave in the Casino? If so, I would like to liberate you from your Internet captors.
I was so excited about receiving your e-mail, I sent a copy to your ISP! I hope THEY want to earn money, too. Please send me more e-mail, Chrystine with a Y. Yours, Tim
If anything, this response is mild compared to what some spammers get. Ultimately, people can complain about it, antispam vendors can concoct better ways to block it, and legislators can write new laws outlawing it - but the sad fact is that spam is here to stay.
The Origin of the Term
Because it's everywhere? Because it's canned? There is no definitive etymology, but most believe that a Monty Python skit ("spam, spam, spam") inspired techie nerds to apply the term to bulk e-mail. The original Spam inventor, Minnesota's Hormel Foods, is not pleased with the negative publicity.
"We don't request that they discontinue the use of the slang word 'spamming,' because that's difficult to control. Rather, we wish that they recognize Spam as a widely known Hormel Foods trademark for more than 60 years, which they're not authorized to use commercially," says a spokesman for Hormel Foods about its canned meat product. "We ask that people not display cans of luncheon meat when promoting their bulk e-mail businesses," he adds.
- J.C.
Torrents Of Unwanted Mail
In a recent survey by GartnerGroup, the vast majority of respondents (84 percent) had received spam - defined for the purposes of this study as unsolicited commercial e-mail - at some point during their Internet travels. More than half received 10 or fewer mailings per week; those receiving more than 20 per week represented 14 percent of the sample.
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Weasels And Extractors
There are a few key vendors of spamware, software for extracting e-mail addresses and blasting out messages. But these vendors all have huge networks of resellers, making them even more pervasive.
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