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Spam
Repetitive, meaningless messages.
Summary
Spam refers to any unwanted electronic message, like junk mail, but on the internet. Spam is often advertisements that make their way past useless spam filters. Usually found in email or forums, spam can also be found in chatrooms or IRC. Spam is one of those things that eleven year old trolls do, that you should ignore, because a response is what they want.
Some forms of mass e-mail spam or other spam are netcrime operations. This is especially true with 419.
Origins
The first spam email ever was sent over ARPANET by Gary Thuerk, a marketer, on May 3, 1978. He wanted to promote computer parts from his company, Digital Equipment Corporation, so he sent it to 400 ARPANET users. On that day there was a total of 2600 users on ARPANET, meaning he spammed 15% of its users. Oh, and Thuerk seemed to have forgotten to unstick the capslock key. Needless to say, few of those people were pleased with the message. Richard Stallman denounced the first ever spam mail.
For curiosity's sake, this is the first ever spam mail:
DIGITAL WILL BE GIVING A PRODUCT PRESENTATION OF THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE DECSYSTEM-20 FAMILY; THE DECSYSTEM-2020, 2020T, 2060, AND 2060T. THE DECSYSTEM-20 FAMILY OF COMPUTERS HAS EVOLVED FROM THE TENEX OPERATING SYSTEM AND THE DECSYSTEM-10 <PDP-10> COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE. BOTH THE DECSYSTEM-2060T AND 2020T OFFER FULL ARPANET SUPPORT UNDER THE TOPS-20 OPERATING SYSTEM. THE DECSYSTEM-2060 IS AN UPWARD EXTENSION OF THE CURRENT DECSYSTEM 2040 AND 2050 FAMILY. THE DECSYSTEM-2020 IS A NEW LOW END MEMBER OF THE DECSYSTEM-20 FAMILY AND FULLY SOFTWARE COMPATIBLE WITH ALL OF THE OTHER DECSYSTEM-20 MODELS. WE INVITE YOU TO COME SEE THE 2020 AND HEAR ABOUT THE DECSYSTEM-20 FAMILY AT THE TWO PRODUCT PRESENTATIONS WE WILL BE GIVING IN CALIFORNIA THIS MONTH. THE LOCATIONS WILL BE: TUESDAY, MAY 9, 1978 – 2 PM HYATT HOUSE (NEAR THE L.A. AIRPORT) LOS ANGELES, CA THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1978 – 2 PM DUNFEY’S ROYAL COACH SAN MATEO, CA (4 MILES SOUTH OF S.F. AIRPORT AT BAYSHORE, RT 101 AND RT 92) A 2020 WILL BE THERE FOR YOU TO VIEW. ALSO TERMINALS ON-LINE TO OTHER DECSYSTEM-20 SYSTEMS THROUGH THE ARPANET. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT THE NEAREST DEC OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EXCITING DECSYSTEM-20 FAMILY.
Current status
Still happening, nothing has really been done about it.
Related Pages
You can find additional phenomena here.
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