What is spam?

Where do we meet the word spam? On its mailbox there is a separate folder "spam", friends often indignantly say: "I was overwhelmed with spam!", And in social networks can even block you for spam. What is spam? Where did this word come from? Today, we will certainly figure it out.

What is spam

Spam is a mass mailing (on the electronicmail, in the form of messages on forums, in chat rooms, social networks, etc.) of commercial, political and other advertising or specific information to those people who did not want to receive it.

The origin of the term "spam"

We started with the definition, and now consider thisthe term and its rather interesting origin in more detail. You probably think that the word "spam" is very young and it appeared recently, when the global Internet began to be widely used by ordinary people. And here not! The English word "SPAM" used to have a completely different meaning and appeared in the distant 1936. Such abbreviation SPAM was deciphered as SPiced hAM, which translates "sharp ham." This is a trademark for canned meat - sausage meat from pork.

In fact, this value is directlyis connected with the modern meaning of the term "spam". Reserves of canned food "SPAM" after the Second World War remained very much. they were needed during the war to supply soldiers. Naturally, then it was necessary to sell all the products, let's say, "not the first freshness." So the first advertising action of this scale was held ... Just imagine, from the windows of all cheap shops, huge inscriptions with the word SPAM rushed into the eyes, this advertisement was everywhere, and even on buses, trams, houses, radio and in the newspapers close up.

Then in the then famous show "Monty's Flying CircusPython "was played in a sketch (a short comedy scene), as SPAM was contained in all the cafe dishes, and in some even several times, it was expressed a clearly negative attitude, thus giving rise to the modern meaning of the word" spam ".

It was also fixed by the fact that in 1986 DaveRoders advertised a new financial pyramid. In the Usenet conferences, the same messages began to be sent out massively, containing advertising information about the financial pyramid. Further, this newsletter was compared to canned goods, which were so heavily advertised and laughed at in Monty Python's sketch.

With the help of spam often advertise services, goods,Thus, a huge number of potential customers are covered, and does not require large material costs for the advertising company. Although we can not forget that spam causes rejection of recipients.

Do I need to fight spam?

Did we understand exactly what spam is? If this is just a distribution of advertising information, then why should it be combated? Spam is not just "unnecessary trash." The fact is that some spam mailings contain information from scammers, threaten to infect the computer with viruses. Now you know what spam is, and what you need to be with it.