Where were you on May 2, 1978? Perhaps you were single-handedly spawning a marketing phenomenon that would irritate computer users for decades.
That’s what Gary Thuerk did, 30 years ago this week, when he sent a message to 400 users on ARPAnet (predecessor of the internet) informing them that his company Digital Equipment Corporation invites them:
TO COME SEE THE 2020 AND HEAR ABOUT THE DECSYSTEM-20 FAMILY AT THE TWO PRODUCT PRESENTATIONS WE WILL BE GIVING IN CALIFORNIA THIS MONTH.
And that, internet denizens, was the caps-locked birth of Spam.
Today, some estimates indicate that Spam accounts for as much as 95% of all mail sent on the internet. The majority of Spam are pushing products and pharmaceuticals (we all know about your little “problem”, you know) but most of us also get our fair share of scam and phishing email as well - not to mention frequent high level communications from Nigeria.
So Happy Birthday, Spam. You’re 30 years old. Now, how do we get rid of you?
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Dennis Comeau
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