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Communication FUNdamentals
Oct. 6, 2008
The History of SPAM and a SPAM Survey!
Spam: we all get 'em! It's become its own form of communication. I don't know about you, but I often wonder..."Where did this come from?" as I am hitting the delete button. Well, I'll tell you. So instead of getting frustrated with spam today, let's have a fun and creative investigation of the phenomenon we call SPAM. At the end, I have a fun little survey for you.
According to Wikipedia, it is widely believed that the term SPAM began with a TV sketch on the BBC's Monty Python's Flying Circus depicting a cafe where all the items involved SPAM lunchmeat. This was a reference to rationing during WWII when canned SPAM was about the only thing widely available in England. In the 1980's, the word SPAM was used in chatrooms often referring to the Monty Python skit and there were some early spammers who would frequently post quotes from Monty Python as a tactic to stop newcomers from chatting. Later on, the technique of multiple posts became known as spam and is now defined as unsolicited bulk email.
Spam as we know it has many forms. It is best known as ads for Viagra and Rolex but it can appear as a sales letter, a long lost friend, a request for help, a solicitation from Nigeria from a deposed king's daughter who is asking you to keep money for her because she has nobody else in the world to turn to for help, Dr. Seuss wannabee nonsense words and even completely blank emails!
According to information compiled by Spam-Filter-Review.com, E-mail spam for 2006 can be broken down as follows.
- E-Mail Spam by Category
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| Products |
25% |
| Financial |
20% |
| Adult |
19% |
| Scams |
9% |
| Health |
7% |
| Internet |
7% |
| Leisure |
6% |
| Spiritual |
4% |
| Other |
3% |
Now living in the United States as I do, and knowing that most every country speaks English as well as their own native language, I never expected my spam to come in any other form but English! However, over the last several months, I have been receiving a large amount of spam in various languages. Since the second most popular language in the world is Spanish, you would expect to see most of your spam in English and Spanish, but you'd be wrong!
In terms of volume of spam: According to Sophos, the major sources of spam in the first quarter of 2008 (January to March) were:
- The United States (the origin of 15.4% of spam messages, down from 21.3% in Q4)
- Russia (7.4%, down from 8.3%)
- Turkey (5.9%, up from 3.8%)
- China (5.5%, up from 4.2%)
- Brazil (4.3%, up from 4.0%)
Russian spam? Yes Russian spam! In fact, in the last several weeks, the most of the spam I get is in RUSSIAN! My daughter is away at college studying Russian and European history and in her first year of Russian this year. I can't wait for her to come home for Thanksgiving to tell me what this spam is selling! lol
Spam has recently changed from annoying emails you receive about topics and products you have no interest in to frustrating emails in languages you don't even understand! So here's my fun survey for you today. As you go through your own personal SPAM, can you even read it?
Come share what language most of YOUR spam comes in?
From JoJo's Purple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week?
Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
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Comments
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Oct. 21, 2008 - Great post!
Spam is best when it's deleted by means of a fork!
(Yummo!)
Dianna