Date:  Tue, 12 Sep 1995 08:46:45 -0500

From:  Katherine Catmull <kate[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]BGA.COM>

Subject: Re: Internet Term Stumper (fwd)



On Mon, 11 Sep 1995, Sylvia Swift wrote:

> On Mon, 11 Sep 1995, Daniel S Goodman forwarded:

>

> > I hope I don't get spammed for this, but does anyone know how the

> > term 'spamming' got coined for mass e-mailing?

>

> i read that it's from the metaphor of spam (yes, the trademarked pork

> product) hitting a fan, and the resulting havoc. i don't have a copy at

> home, but i think it's mentioned in _internet for dummies_.



On Usenet, where spam is a much greater problem than it is on e-mail

lists, there is a group called news.admin.net-abuse.misc (I think--maybe

no "admin" in the name) to discuss and deal with the problem.



They have an excellent and informative FAQ which among other things gives

a very presice definition of spam. And I believe it was in that FAQ

I read that the term "spam" is a reference to the ancient Monty Python

skit about the restaurant where you can't order anything that doesn't

include spam--and where a chorus of men keeps leaping up to chant "SPAM

SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM . . ." endlessly.



It's an apt and amusing etymology and I hope it's true.



Kate Catmull  kate[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]bga.com