Spam Turns 100, By One Reckoning

mkavanagh2 writes "Spam is 100 years old today! But, surprisingly, the first spam wasn't sent via e-mail. In fact, 100 years ago, Cunard sent out telegrams to selected (rich) members of the British social elite, advertising tickets on a new liner, and becoming the first spammer. Let us all take out a moment to consider how to best 'repay' the spammers who followed for the 100 years of 'joy' they have given us. ;)"

Comments

Are Caveman's drawings spam?

[joeldixon66]

In terms of Internet spamming - it's closer to 26 years old - link.

I can't see anything about Cunard from the submitter's link.

Define "spam"

[Jonboy X]

Google says:
Spam: Unsolicited "junk" e-mail sent to large numbers of people to promote products or services.

Note the e- in front of "mail" in the defintion. If it ain't e-mail, then it's just plain old junk mail. ;P

Spam IS NOT just email

[intx13]

From Wikipidia: "In this article and those related, the term spamming is used broadly to refer to all of these behaviors, regardless of medium and commercial intent."

Notice the regardless of medium.

Personally, I consider spam to be the automatic supply of unwanted information. For that reason I wouldn't consider mailing lists and telemarketers as spammers. You signed up for the mailing list and telemarketing is not an automatic process. Besides, telemarketing provides (provided) a lot of people with jobs (even if bad jobs, some people need the money more than the good job).

For instance: You can be spammed with junk mail. A channel can be spammed by bots. You can be spammed with emails. You can't be spammed over the phone unless a recording is calling you. You can be spammed in the grocery store (oh wait, that's different...)

Of course, this is just my personal way of looking at it, so what do I know?

Visit a spammer message board - see the felonies

[Animats]

For a good time, visit this spammer bulletin board. "Make Big Money with Spam". There's enough criminal activity described there to put some people in Club Fed for many years. This is a window into organized crime. Some excerpts:

• 07-07-2004, 05:25 PM
  Nugster is Offline:
  Junior Member
  Join Date: Jul 2004
  Reliable Proxie service hourly updated

  Hello, I am providing a very good proxie service with hourly updates.

  each members list contains 1,000-2,000 working proxies at all times.

  all you do is load the list into your mailer llike DM mailer uses links to get proxies set it to hourly updates and wala hands free mailing.

  we offer the service for a weekly price of $600 with discount for montly memberships which monthly is $2,200 a $200 savings.

  ...

  We are here to stay & aim to please. Our service is staffed by a full time crew of 10 people who are constantly maintaing our lists by hand 24/7 to ensure working proxies, unlike others who have there lists checked by computers only not acutally checking for smtp enable. ...

Need money laundering services?

• adamrich is Offline:
  Junior Member
  Join Date: Apr 2004
  Posts: 11
  processing Quote: Originally Posted by excelbru

  Can someone advise me a reliable bulk proof credit card processor not shutting me down after the first complaints?
  ...
  We can do such processing for you. Take a look at our site www.oxbill.com

And much, much more.

If you deal with spam, it's worth some time spent visiting that site. There's a whole criminal infrastructure to support spamming. You'll find "bullet proof web hosting", domain laundering, credit card laundering, virus/worm distributors selling access to zombie machines, mortgage lead buyers, and "pharmacy" operators.

Yes, it's been reported to CERT/Homeland Security and NANAE.

Not true

[HBI]

The Lusitania sinking in 1915 had nothing to do with the US' declaration of war in 1917.

That had more to do with the Zimmermann note promising Mexico territorial adjustments in exchange for a declaration of war against the US, as well as sinkings of US flag merchant vessels in the North Atlantic.