What is Spam?

[lakshaybehl]

According to you?

What do you think is Spam?

No... seriously... we need to give it thought, as I am sure we have different levels of tolerance.

In fact I should ask what do you think is the demarkation between Spam and Not-spammy.

Is there anything like verbal spam?

Is it spammy to post a link to your website while answring someone's question? Or poining back to your site from within the solution you are providing for the question asked?

Think about it...
-Lakshay

[JayXtreme]

Spam is unsolicited bulk or junk e-mail

or:

define: spam - Google Search

[Paul M]

Spam is unsolicited email, telephone calls and snail mail.

We get just as much spam calls and letters as we do spam emails.

paul

[jonparker83]

I personally think spam has context...

There are the following types of spam:

- Email spam that doesn't comply with the law and will get you in lots of trouble
- Email spam when you send your opt-in list too much rubbish causing them to unsubscribe
- Forum spam when you post to publicise your signature etc that gives a lasting bad impression of you

I think spam can have many faces, none of which do you any good!

[freudianslip27]

I think the term gets thrown around with other things though:

"search engine spam"
"spam commenting"
etc.

When I think spam, I think someone sending out tons and tons of automated, non targeted crap.

SPAM: Using a program to comment "I love your blog dude (insert link here)" on every blog you can find.

NOT SPAM: Finding a blog related to your niche, taking the time to read it, and making a thoughtful comment that contributes to the blog, while mentioning your relevant site of course!

Matt

[Terrybear]

My defination for spam is posting/email something not useful or fake information. It is not depend on the length of the post/email, but the content itself

[rosetrees]

p1a1u1 - are you registered with the telephone preference service (TPS)? If not, you should and you can register online. It stopped most of my rubbish calls.

[Paul M]

Originally Posted by rosetrees

p1a1u1 - are you registered with the telephone preference service (TPS)? If not, you should and you can register online. It stopped most of my rubbish calls.

Good tip I will keep that in mind, How do they get everyones contact numbers anyway?

We get a minimum of 5 to 10 calls trying to sell us every type of goods and service you can imagine.

The other day we got a call asking us if we would like to make a "will" in case of an unexpected death.

I found it funny actually, just hope its not a sign. lol

paul

[Kevin Riley]

SPAM SWISS PIE

1 Deep dish pie shell (9")
6 Eggs
1 c Whipping cream
1/8 tsp Pepper
1 can SPAM Luncheon Meat, cubed
1/4 c Chopped onion
2 c Shredded Swiss cheese, divided

Heat oven to 425'F. Bake pie shell 6-8 minutes. Reduce oven
temperature to 350'F. In bowl, beat together eggs, whipping cream,
and pepper. Stir in SPAM and onion. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese in pie
shell. Pour egg mixture over cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese over
egg. Bake 45-55 minutes or until eggs are set.

[Jeremy Gatica]

Originally Posted by Kevin Riley

SPAM SWISS PIE

1 Deep dish pie shell (9")
6 Eggs
1 c Whipping cream
1/8 tsp Pepper
1 can SPAM Luncheon Meat, cubed
1/4 c Chopped onion
2 c Shredded Swiss cheese, divided

Heat oven to 425'F. Bake pie shell 6-8 minutes. Reduce oven
temperature to 350'F. In bowl, beat together eggs, whipping cream,
and pepper. Stir in SPAM and onion. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese in pie
shell. Pour egg mixture over cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese over
egg. Bake 45-55 minutes or until eggs are set.

I may have to try this but without the swiss, monterey jack instead

[Bob Stovall]

Leave it to Mr. Riley to turn a spam discussion into food. Dude, I'm trying to lose a few pounds here.:-)

[jensrsa]

Spam is any email that scores over 4.5 on the Richter scale.

It doesn't really matter what the content is. It doesn't matter what you "think" spam is.

Spam filters are basically anti-business, not anti-spam so, if you know how to frame your emails you'll get through. if you don't you will be blocked

Here are the basic "rules" courtesy of sitesell:

Some of the most obvious negatives to avoid in your e-mails...

• The excessive use of ALL CAPS in the subject line and message body of your e-mail.

• The use of trigger words like "free" (used alone, or in combination with any number of words like "trial," "money," "quote," "sample," "membership," "access," and so on), "sex," "XXX," "spam," "$$$," "checks," "money orders," "extra income," "as seen on TV," and so on. Even using seemingly harmless words like "search engine listings," "cable converter", and "reverses aging" will penalize your e-mail, so you must be exceptionally vigilant in the analysis of your SpamCheck report.
  
  
• The excessive use of punctuation "!!!"

... and finally, a very special thing NOT to do...

• If you think of using a trick to avoid detection (like putting a * in certain words to disguise them or adding 50 spaces in your subject to push a code out of sight), it's only a matter of time until you are ESPECIALLY determined to be a spammer. Because "normal business people" don't use tricks -- they just do business.

On the other hand, there are certain elements of an e-mail that qualify it as being "bona fide" correspondence. With that said...
Here are some tips for staying on the "good" side of the various spam checkers, filters, etc. that stand between your e-mail and your reader's INBOX. Use as many of these "good triggers" as possible, to prove that yours is a real, justifiable mailing...

• Use of the words "news", "newsletter", or "list" in your subject line
  
  
• Indication of publishing frequency in the subject line -- weekly, daily, monthly
  
  
• Inclusion of date of newsletter in the subject
  
  
• Inclusion of the issue number in the subject line
  
  
• Make sure your newsletter has some substance -- when was the last time you saw spam that had more than a few lines of text?

Above and beyond that, use your own common sense. You know what spam looks like -- do not make your e-zine look like spam. And you know what a "VALID, GOOD" e-zine looks like -- that should be your role model! And especially...

... NO TRICKS. Just do your business and keep it real.



Jens

[vorales]

How our email know that those email is spam or not? Is it the email which has long content will be consider as spam if we don't add the email id in our address book?

[jensrsa]

Spam filters add up a score based on:

- the ip address and domain sent from, i.e .biz etc
- whether a bulkmailer was used
- the words use, i.e. registered, subscribed, free, guarantee. special offer, no risk, insurance, sex, etc
- the html coding - bol, colours, etc
- unsubscribe link

if your email scores over 4.5 -5 you stand a chance of being blockd dependin on how strictly the spam filter was set.

Some spam filters will block you for attachments, "wrong" ip address, etc. without using the scor. It may even be that someone use the same isp as ypu were caught in a spam trap then all the isp's clients' emails may be suspect.

Not a simple issue at times

Jens

[jensrsa]

BTW unsolicited commercial emails, or what most people incorrectly calls spam, not illegal in the USA (or South Africa) there are certain rules that must be followed and certain techniques that are illegal, but commercial emails, unsolicited or not are perfectly legal; irritating but legal.

ISP will block/cancel you based on their own TOS, not on a legal point.

IMH&HO B) no web site owner can complain of receiving spam.

Once you put an email address or a contact page up you are declaring yourself open to receive mail and in fact all emails are then solicited

Jens