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What is spam basically? I lost its meaning hmmm ...

by awledd
15 replies
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Really what is spam? Is it a non working product which is also useless? Or can it be usefull someway? for example what if I post a comment with a link to a product that I know works, can it not be useful to a reader? Now what if the link is an affiliate link or what if not? is it still spam? I seem to be confused here clear the fog please.
  • Profile picture of the author lived
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    Originally Posted by awledd View Post

    What is spam basically? I lost its meaning hmmm ...
    You're borderline on answering your own question. :rolleyes:
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    • Profile picture of the author awledd
      Originally Posted by lived View Post

      You're borderline on answering your own question. :rolleyes:
      Sorry but I haven't understand what you said. Is that to say "you answered your own question?"
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  • Profile picture of the author lcombs
    The original meaning was taken from the meat product, SPAM, for "not real meat".
    The best way I can describe it is: It was aimed at people who knew just enough more than the average user to proclaim themselves experts.
    They used their simple knowledge to impress their friends and abuse the 'net for personal gain.

    At least that is how was explained to by a system analyst when the term first came into use.
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  • Profile picture of the author awledd
    Which means fake products? Then what about a link in a comment to a real product?
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Email: Spam is something that is sent to an email address without previous permission because nobody would actually ever go to their site for their crap without forcing it in front of their face, and the owner of the email is narcissistic enough to think the people that get tricked into opening the email will be grateful - but the email owner finds it not - so they dump it in the spam folder.

    Forum - same type of stuff. Would you sit and have coffee with people who spent their time with you promoting themselves or products? Yeah, me neither. So if the purpose of saying something in a forum is to sell something, even in a back-end type of method, that would be spam.

    Hope that makes sense.
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    Sal
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    The definition of spam has evolved to mean different things, and at the same time has been so misused it's almost meaningless.

    Here's how I think of spam: Marketing where it's unwanted to people you have no established relationship with, abusing resources you have no right to abuse.
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    Just when you think you've got it all figured out, someone changes the rules.

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    • Profile picture of the author HeySal
      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

      The definition of spam has evolved to mean different things, and at the same time has been so misused it's almost meaningless.

      Here's how I think of spam: Marketing where it's unwanted to people you have no established relationship with, abusing resources you have no right to abuse.
      Tres succinct and efficient. Well said.
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      Sal
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      • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
        The earliest use of the word for electronic communication I've heard about occurred on an IRC channel a loooong time ago. Some twit decided to screw with the people in the channel and pasted in "spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spammity spam" over and over.

        One of the other people in the group typed in "We've been SPAMMED!"

        The only credible explanation for the choice of words to drown the channel was the Spam sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus.

        The very generic meaning of the word "spam" (as a noun) is "any message type that threatens, if left unchecked, to drown out meaningful communication in a channel or medium."

        Spam is not just commercial messages sent in bulk. Some of the worst of the early spam was a guy who kept posting to newsgroups looking for a time traveller to help him get his machine running again so he could get home.


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        • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
          Originally Posted by Paul Myers View Post

          Spam is not just commercial messages sent in bulk. Some of the worst of the early spam was a guy who kept posting to newsgroups looking for a time traveller to help him get his machine running again so he could get home.
          Was that John Titor?
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          Just when you think you've got it all figured out, someone changes the rules.

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          • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
            Dennis,
            Was that John Titor?
            Ma'am, you're showing your age.

            Yep. He wasn't as famous as Kibo, or as helpful as Tale, but he was easily one of the more "colorful" of the Usenet crowd. He came along late in the game, as newsgroup celebs go.


            Paul
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        • Profile picture of the author HeySal
          Originally Posted by Paul Myers View Post

          The very generic meaning of the word "spam" (as a noun) is "any message type that threatens, if left unchecked, to drown out meaningful communication in a channel or medium."

          Spam is not just commercial messages sent in bulk. Some of the worst of the early spam was a guy who kept posting to newsgroups looking for a time traveller to help him get his machine running again so he could get home.


          Paul
          I wonder if he resurfaced later as the guy I saw posting in the craigslist employment section a few years back -- for someone to go time-traveling with him? Effective spam. I sometimes wish I would have responded to that one. Curiosity is a spammer's best friend.
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          Sal
          When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
          Beyond the Path

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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
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    Originally Posted by awledd View Post

    Really what is spam? Is it a non working product which is also useless? Or can it be usefull someway? for example what if I post a comment with a link to a product that I know works, can it not be useful to a reader? Now what if the link is an affiliate link or what if not? is it still spam? I seem to be confused here clear the fog please.
    Affiliate links are not allowed in WF. Links to your own sites are not allowed. All/most links are suspect in posts and most likely will be checked out for an affiliation with the product by you. Post the same link more than once and it will really be suspect that you have an affiliation or agenda with the link.
    Self promotion is not allowed in WF except in the commercial advertising areas such as WSO or classifieds.

    "Fake products" are not spam. They're fake products.
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  • Profile picture of the author JimDucharme
    This is the skit Paul mentioned. It's the orgin of the term:

    Monty Python - Spam - YouTube
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  • Profile picture of the author awledd
    Ok a bad product probably is called a scam. In our country individuals as well as small companies post posters on a tree or a wall. If the posters got caught they can be punished but this kind of post is sometimes useful. I was in need of a satellite dish technnician and on my way home I read one of those posts which also had telephone number. I called him and he configured my satellite receiver. A win win situatuion for both of us. I might not call this spam.
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    • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
      Banned
      Originally Posted by awledd View Post

      Ok a bad product probably is called a scam. In our country individuals as well as small companies post posters on a tree or a wall. If the posters got caught they can be punished but this kind of post is sometimes useful. I was in need of a satellite dish technnician and on my way home I read one of those posts which also had telephone number. I called him and he configured my satellite receiver. A win win situatuion for both of us. I might not call this spam.
      You won't call it spam but the property owner will call it spam. Same with distributing flyers on cars in a mall parking lot. You will most likely get a nasty call from property management at the very least.
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