Security Articles
Spam: Where it Came From, and How to Escape It
by Beka Ruse
In 1936, long before the rise of the personal
computer, Hormel Foods created SPAM. In 2002, the company will produce
it's six billionth can of the processed food product. But that mark
was passed long ago in the world of Internet spam.
- Who Cooked This!? (How did it all start?)
- Why Does Bad Spam Happen to Good People?
- Stop The Flood to Your Inbox
- Stay Off Spammed Lists in the Future
- Think You're Not a Spammer? Be Sure.
- The Final Blow
Who Cooked This!? (How did it all start?)
The modern meaning of the word "spam" has nothing to do with
spiced ham. In the early 1990's, a skit by British comedy group Monty
Python led to the word's common usage. "The SPAM Skit" follows
a couple struggling to order dinner from a menu consisting entirely
of Hormel's canned ham.
Repetition is key to the skit's hilarity. The actors cram the word "SPAM"
into the 2.5 minute skit more than 104 times! This flood prompted Usenet
readers to call unwanted newsgroup postings "spam." The name
stuck.
Spammers soon focused on e-mail, and the terminology
moved with them. Today, the word has come out of technical obscurity.
Now, "spam" is the common term for "Unsolicited Commercial
E-Mail", or "UCE."
Why Does Bad Spam Happen to Good People?
Chances are, you've been spammed before. Somehow, your e-mail address
has found it's way into the hands of a spammer, and your inbox is suffering
the consequences. How does this happen? There are several possibilities.
Backstabbing Businesses -
Businesses often keep lists of their customers' e-mail addresses. This
is a completely legitimate practice and, usually, nothing bad comes
of it. Sometimes though, the temptation to make a quick buck is too
great, and these lists are sold or rented to outside advertisers. The
result? A lot of unsolicited e-mail, and a serious breach of trust.
Random Address Generation -
Computer programs called random address generators simply "guess"
e-mail addresses. Over 100 million hotmail addresses exist - how hard
could it be to guess some of them? Unfortunately for many unsuspecting
netizens - not too hard. Many spammers also guess at "standard"
addresses, like "support@yourdomain.com", "info@yourdomain.com",
and "billing@yourdomain.com."
Web Spiders -
Today's most insidious list-gathering tools are web spiders. All of
the major search engines spider the web, saving information about each
page. Spammers use tools that also spider the web, but save any e-mail
address they come across. Your personal web page lists your e-mail address?
Prepare for an onslaught!
Chat Room Harvesting -
ISP's offer vastly popular chat rooms where users are known only by
their screen names. Of course, spammers know that your screen name is
the first part of your e-mail address. Why waste time guessing e-mail
addresses when a few hours of lurking in a chat room can net a list
of actively-used addresses?
The Poor Man's Bad Marketing Idea -
It didn't work for the phone companies, and it won't work for e-mail
marketers. But, some spammers still keep their own friends-and-family-style
e-mail lists. Compiled from the addresses of other known spammers, and
people or businesses that the owner has come across in the past, these
lists are still illegitimate. Why? Only you can give someone permission
to send you e-mail. A friend-of-a-friend's permission won't cut it.
Stop The Flood to Your Inbox
Already drowning in spam? Try using your e-mail client's filters - many
provide a way to block specific e-mail addresses. Each time you're spammed,
block the sender's address. Spammers skip from address to address, and
you may be on many lists, but this method will at least slow the flow.
Also, use more than one e-mail address, and keep one "clean."
Many netizens find that this technique turns the spam flood into a trickle.
Use one address for only spam-safe activities like e-mailing your friends,
or signing on with trustworthy businesses. Never use your clean address
on the web! Get a free address to use on the web and in chat rooms.
If nothing else helps, consider changing screen names,
or opening an entirely new e-mail account. When you do, you'll start
with a clean, spam-free slate. This time, protect your e-mail address!
Stay Off Spammed Lists in the Future
Want to surf the web without getting sucked into the spam-flood? Prevention
is your best policy. Don't use an easy-to-guess e-mail address. Keep
your address clean by not using it for spam-centric activities. Don't
post it on any web pages, and don't use it in chat rooms or newsgroups.
Before giving your clean e-mail address to a business, check the company
out. Are sections of its user agreement dedicated to anti-spam rules?
Does a privacy policy explain exactly what will be done with your address?
The most considerate companies also post an anti-spam policy written
in plain English, so you can be absolutely sure of what you're getting
into.
Think You're Not a Spammer? Be Sure.
Many a first-time marketer has inadvertently spammed his audience. The
first several hundred complaints and some nasty phone messages usually
stop him in his tracks. But by then, the spammer may be faced with cleanup
bills from his ISP, and a bad reputation that it's not easy to overcome.
The best way to avoid this situation is to have a clear understanding
of what spam is: If anyone who receives your mass e-mails did not specifically
ask to hear from you, then you are spamming them.
Stick with your gut. Don't buy a million addresses
for $10, no matter how much the seller swears by them! If something
sounds fishy, just say no. You'll save yourself a lot in the end.
The Final Blow
The online world is turning the tide on spam. In the
end, people will stop sending spam because it stops working. Do your
part: never buy from a spammer. When your business seeks out technology
companies with which to work, only choose those with a staunch anti-spam
stance.
Spam has a long history in both the food and e-mail sectors. This year,
Hormel Foods opened a real-world museum dedicated to SPAM. While the
museum does feature the Monty Python SPAM Skit, there's no word yet
on an unsolicited commercial e-mail exhibit. But, if all upstanding
netizens work together, Hormel's ham in a can will far outlive the Internet
plague that is UCE.
References:
Hormel Foods, Virtual Press Kit, www.hormelfoods.com
Microsoft Corporation, MSN Hotmail Fun Facts, www.microsoft.com
Brought to you by: World Wide Information Outlet -
http://certificate.net/wwio/, your source of FREEWare Content online.
Beka Ruse fights spam as the
Business Development Manager at AWeber Communications. Ad tracking,
live stats, and a strict anti-spam policy: Automated E-Mail Follow Up
From AWeber.
