No Matter How Bad SPAM Can Be, You Need To Know SPAM History Too!
No Matter How Bad SPAM Can Be, You Need To Know SPAM History Too!
What is the modern meaning of the word "spam"?
As part of my recent rebuilding process and progress in websites and social media platforms for better business move, I did few search and review on SPAM!
Hey, folks, it is nothing to do with spiced ham. In the early 1990's, a skit by British comedy group Monty Python led to the word's common usage. "The SPAM Skit" follows a couple struggling to order dinner from a menu consisting entirely of Hormel's canned ham. Bare in mind, repetition is key to the skit's hilarity!
The actors cram the word "SPAM" into the 2.5 minute skit more than 104 times! The flood prompted Usenet readers to call unwanted newsgroup postings "spam." And it is how the name stuck. How bad it was turn out when soon after all the SPAMMERS focused on e-mail. It is how the terminology moved with them and stuck with us ever since!
SPAM today has come out of technical obscurity. It is the common term for "Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail", or "UCE." Do you think Bad Spam can differentiate good or bad people? Are you cursing your luck how SPAM happen to you good people?
Not only you, I am also have been spammed before and seems long may its continue! Our e-mail address has found it's way into the hands of a spammer. Our inbox is suffering the consequences.
How does this happen? There are several possibilities.
Backstabbing Businesses?
Businesses and we can put us in this bracket too, often keep lists of their customers' e-mail addresses. Legit practice and nothing bad comes of it.
Everything called temptation, any kind of temptation and feel tempted is cool right? But what about when we are too tempted, too great to make a quick buck? You, me, all those other customers' e-mail lists are being sold or rented, or due to unrivalled technology of today's world, the e-mail lists easily crawled and in a split second your e-mail info are in the hands of outside advertisers.
This lead to the born of a lot of unsolicited e-mail with serious breach of trust.
Random Address Generation.
Computer programs called random address generators simply "guess" e-mail addresses. I am sure more than 100 million email addresses exist nowadays. Could it be so hard to guess some of them or the rest of them? Unfortunately for us and many others unsuspecting people, it is not too hard.
Spammers also guess at:
- "standard" addresses, like "support AT yourdomain DOT com",
- "info AT yourdomain DOT com",
- and "billing AT yourdomain DOT com."
Web Spiders?
They say spiders will have their own web net online. I am no sarcastic but I did give sarcastic smile when heard of this long time ago.
I am no longer be able to repeat that sarcastic smile again as web spiders are the most insidious list-gathering tools! Web spiders are making me their laughing stock now!
All major search engines spider the web. Taking and saving information about each page. Spammers use tools that also spider the web but they save any e-mail address they come across. Your personal web page lists your e-mail address? Prepare for an onslaught!
Take the emergence of every chat rooms since the early day until today. The ISP offer users to be known only by their screen names. Spammers know that your screen name is the first part of your e-mail address.
Time guessing e-mail addresses are wasting time. By working for few hours of lurking in a chat room can net a list of actively-used addresses. isn't it? Bad Marketing Idea lots?
For the phone companies and e-mail marketers, this simply doesn't work. But, "the hero of the day" spammers still keep their own friends-and-family-style e-mail lists.
Compiled addresses by other known spammers, people or businesses that the owner has come across in the past, these lists are still not legit. Why? Because it is only you can really give someone permission to send you e-mail. A friends' friend permission won't cut it.
Stop The Flood and Spam Tidal Wave to Your Inbox?
Everyday, I am also almost drowning in spam. Use your e-mail client's filters to block specific e-mail addresses. Block the sender's address of spamming. Spammers skip from address to address as you are just one of many on the lists but this method will at least slow the flow.
Why I am taking the risk "bombing" structure of my websites or social media as of late? Remember that all of our online platforms nowadays are tied to the requirement of submitting our e-mail address too. What I am doing now is try to tinkering and tweak with more than one e-mail address. Although it is time consuming exercise, we do really need to keep one "clean."
Use this technique and turns the spam flood into a trickle. One e-mail address for only spam-safe activities like e-mailing your friends and signing on with trustworthy businesses. Yes, as a newbie with a total zero ideas about internet marketing, I did this mistake, use clean address on the web!
Now, I take the hard lesson of resetting all of this stuff.
Ensure you get a free address to use on the web and in chat rooms.
Also consider changing screen names. Consider opening an entirely new e-mail account. Start with a clean, spam-free slate. This time is all about protect your e-mail address!
Stay Off Spammed Lists in the Future.
Want to surf the web without getting sucked into the spam-flood? Prevention is your best policy. I do fall back to one of my careers' job as a Prevention Officer for bad-debt borrowings. Don't use an easy-to-guess e-mail address.
Keep your address clean by not using it for spam-centric activities. Don't post it on any web pages, and don't use it in chat rooms or newsgroups.
Before giving out our new clean e-mail address to a business, check the company out. Check its user agreement section whether it is dedicated to anti-spam rules? Does a privacy policy explain exactly what will be done with your address?
The most considerate companies also post an anti-spam policy written in plain English, so you can be absolutely sure of what you're getting into.
Do you think You're Not a Spammer?
Be Sure. I must admit, accidently, as a first-time marketer, I am sorry I am that NAIVE at that time, that early days, inadvertently spammed the audience. This what happen, like me, fall to "scamming" champs in the first six-month online career. Better understanding since joining Wealthy Affiliate.
I am also still in a cloud a bit about the best way to avoid this situation. But let's have a clear understanding of what spam is:
- Anyone who receives your mass e-mails did not specifically ask to hear from you, then you are spamming them.
- Stick with your gut. Avoid buy a million addresses for $10, no matter how much the seller swears by them!
- If something sounds fishy, just say no. You'll save yourself a lot in the end.
The Final Verdict.
The online world is turning the tide on spam. I am not sure but I hope in the end, people will stop sending spam because it stops working.
Do your part:
Never buy from a spammer. If you seeks out technology companies with which to work, choose those with a staunch anti-spam stance.
Chicken Soup For Your Thought:
Spam has a long history in both the food and e-mail sectors. Do you know that once Hormel Foods opened a real-world museum dedicated to SPAM.
The museum does feature the Monty Python SPAM Skit. On the humor side of this, Hormel's ham in a can will far outlive the Internet plague of "SPAM".
Recent Comments
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With Gmail filter nowadays I have lesser spam email as it goes to junk folder. Problem now is some important emails also go to junk folder and have to search for it when expecting something but email not arrived.
That is one give me a headache sometime, bro. Last few days I am waiting "important" emails that seems never arrived. They have actually stranded the "SPAM" land. Just now I saved all of them. :)
Good Morning Afqm,
That was a good and interesting post but I must say a bit long.
Interesting because you told how the word Spam was born.
I have been lucky as the spamming on my email is not too bad.
Also the fact that Google Mail puts them in Spam for me helps. Still, one has to check it as sometimes a mistake is made.
Because of my name I get a lot of ladies who want to meet me, never a dull moment on the Internet.
Have a good Sunday, Taetske
Good day, Taetske! How are you today?
I realized that it is bit long. Initially, I wanted to keep it at half the length of this post. Already put the full narration aside while the half of the content creation about to be transferred to WA.
One sudden sharp turn of thought make me pull everything here. I am thinking about my newbie friends here that once was me.
Yes, "Googling" you can even find new small islands was born the Hindi Sea, but I reflect myself when I am struggling to get the certain key early existence of certain info back then. At least almost 95% early SPAM history covered here whenever anyone seeks for the info at WA.
Save their time and I knew too well how the feeling is. I can say the early days on the online platform, some were very regrettable moment and to learn new stuff all over again is a long hard way. I am sorry for the "long-tail post" I have made. :)
Hahaha, I enjoy your experience being never on the dull moment while on the net.
Thanks and peace be upon you, from Kuala Lumpur :)
And like Paul Harvey used to say, "now you know the rest of the story." Thank you for this information.
At least we know it wasn't that food faulty and we can enjoy any food called spam. lol.
Thanks and welcome, sir, Have a nice day!
Thanks for the great post, can I have some more spam? food variety.
As for emails I have 4. two of which I use when uncertain or certain at times. One is actually garbage@.....
Good morning from South East Asia, sir! Thanks for your comment!
Haha, be my guest for food variety.
Yes, I am following you now on e-mail matters, sir! Thanks!
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Thank you for the info
You are welcome, my friend!