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Spam as Poetry

Posted by michael on from the i-heard-a-fly-buzz-as-i-died dept.

ayahner writes "My spam filter receives about 500/wk, and within those frisky messages, among the pulp and porn, comes some pretty daring poetry. So instead of simply removing the spam, I have decided to peruse my spam library and use the best to spur my creative energies. Do any /. members have their own favorites? I have compiled a few of my own, and expect to add many more over the next few weeks as a creativity exercise. All of the verses are taken from actual spam, and copied directly without modification. Some of them are nonsense. Others are real text of spam, delivering their message. When combined, they tend to form semi-articulate sentences. I see a virtual e.e. cummings here, an occasional Shakespeare there."

7 of 281 comments (clear)

  1. What is poetry? by mozumder · · Score: 4, Insightful

    At this point you could probably combine random words from a dictionary and call it poetry.. Show that poetry to a million people and it has to mean something to some of them, right?

    Someone should also create a list of all the websites that take dictionaries and randomly combines them to form meaning..

  2. Shakesphere? by swinginSwingler · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Obviously, this guy majored in comp sci. No engish major would ever compare this stuff to the bard...

  3. This is another wonderful example by lancomandr · · Score: 2, Insightful

    of how easy it is for people to pull poetry out of their asses. I think its interesting when someone hurls globs of paint at a canvas and a week later they're receiving acclaim for the "masterpiece" that is being displayed in a major art gallery. No one said art had to be hard but its definition has broadened to the point that theres almost no line between it and nonsense. Granted, this in particular is more for fun than anything else, but it drives me crazy to see everyone stand back in wonder when some teenager reads the 10*45344^256th iteration of the "I'm drowning in a void of nothingness" poem at a local coffeeshop.

    --

    "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"

    1. Re:This is another wonderful example by peawee03 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The reason they're in the art gallery is because they have the idea to push that off as art. If you came around and did that, and actively promoted it as art, I'm sure you too would end up in a gallery. Point is, you most likely haven't (either that, or you are in the art gallery for something that took more than five minutes with a paint can). It's art in an artistic sence simply because of the artist's audacity to actually do that.

      --
      I wish I could write clever and witty sigs.
  4. Don't encorage these fuckers. by autopr0n · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Poetry spam? I'd rather have an inbox that was useable. The amount of poetry/random stories in spam has gone way up in order to get around baysian filters, and it wouldn't suprise me if all text based filters will be useless soon. I mean, honestly. We'll soon need to either implement visual-based filtering (filtering based on the visual model that would be shown if the spam was HTML rendered, or even filtering of images). Or everyone is going to have to get SPF and even auto-whitelisting working.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  5. Re:Jumbler! by RedWizzard · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Gee, thanks.
    I hope you mean that sincerely.
  6. IANAL but.... by sglane81 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I think you guys are crazy for putting a list like that together. Such blatent copyright infringment... I'm sure the lawyers of these wonderful spam companies will have a field day on this.

    tongue firmly in cheek

    --
    This is the Internet. You can say "fuck" here. - AC