What IS spam?

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Okay... in the recent light of too many spammers and spam topics, I wanted to ask you all: What IS spam? Where goes the line?

I think spam is when you don't have something to say but you have to say something.

Ara
(Food... feh, no)

 

I dont agree with you there Arabwel, I often have nothing to say but a need to say something. I just cant keep my mouth shut. It need not be spam. Even if you essentially say nothing it can have substance and even importance. I must say that spam is posting for postings own sake, not for the need of saying something or expressing an opinion.

 

jocqin, even when you post something because you need to post something, you post it because ypou have something to say, but I agree that a post for it's own sake has nothing to say and is thusly spam.

Ara
(Food... is ... not... an... issue...)

 

Hmm Spam is funny.

 

Ok this may be somewhat stupid question, but why is it called spam in the first place? Does it have something with that food spam in cans?

As for me, spam is everything that you said and that commercial type spam, letter chains and similar stuff. Jokes can be spam but only if they don't belong there.

That's my two cents

 

Have any of you people ever seen the Monty Python Spam sketch?
The term comes from that sketch. Read the script here:
http://www.ironworks.com/comedy/python/spam.htm

Basically, spam is something you don't want, but it comes with everything anyway.

[ September 13, 2002, 19:42: Message edited by: Astra ]

 

I still prefer scrapple!
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Actually, I think this scrapple post is spam! Go figure...

 

SCRAPPLE!!! Ugh! The stuff that goes into THAT is not fit to print. So I guess you can call this a scrapple spam post also!
I think that just posting to up your post count is spam, but if you have something funny or creative to add, it's not really spam. It may not be prophetic, but it's not spam. Maybe it's scrapple.

 

*Sigh*, I feel this is turning into another Spam-Topic... How sad.

Spam is when someone who doesn't have anything useful to say, simply says it anyway, even if it has nothing to do with anything, and even if nobody reads it, they spam because they need to write something. Whether it's to increase post count or something else.

Z-Layrex, what exactly did that post above contribute to the topic?

 

Probably just an example of spam.

I would say that spam is meat byproducts sold in a can, but that's not the kind of spam that you are looking for. Spam is basically just something that annoys the heck out of people and does not contribute anything to the topic. To add to Gopher's reply, it makes the topic difficult and irritating to read. Whenever you have nothing to contribute, don't post and you won't have to worry about being a spammer.

It is not making a lot of useful posts. So long as it contributes to the discussion, I don't see any reason why it should be called spam.

 

Z-layrex, that icon of yours. It looks like your fighter is wearing a baby bonnet. Only yours isn't pink.

Was that a spam? Spam is like a vector with no obvious direction. You can put any of your concepts of spam into this baby. Thus this is a useful definition.

[ September 14, 2002, 01:41: Message edited by: Nobleman ]

 

I was under the impression, judging by this forum alone (for it is the only one I've ever seen the term), spam was a post that does little more than bump a thread back up to the top of the list.

So, any post that is three words or less is spam, as far as I can tell.

One that caught me, and obviously BTA as well, was in the Arcanum thread. He had originally posted "Great Game!", which would have been spam. He realized it almost immediately, and edited it with a long sentence afterwards.

Which is why I never post "bump" in a thread, I always put in at least one decent sentence...

 

Anything that isn't needed and doesn't add value to the post.

 

@Noblemen. It looks like a helmet when it's enlarged. It just looks weird small.

@Gopher It was just an example of spam.

 

awhh..spam. I like to say that word...
spaaaaaam.
I also love the spam song!
Monty Pthons are the best, I know the spamsong by heart!
Spam is well... something that is said by someone in an inappropriate place. It is spam even though it might have some info in it.
......

 

Spam is what defines those with, and those wtihout worth. It defines those who have something useful to say, and those who don't. It defines the well-meaning folk from the egoists.

Basically, spam is LIFE!

 

ooh Yerril you philocopher you. <-SPAM

 

This is spam...

A post with no meaning What-so-ever

 

3 words...

Read the Rules! Sorry mate

 

Thanks everyone for enlightening me - I know have a general idea of what spam is now