Perri Nelson's Website 

Thursday Thirteen Number 14

Thirteen Things about SPAM … or is it "spam"

1. SPAM is a registered trademark of Hormel Foods, LLC.
2. The term "spam" used to refer to unsolicited commercial email does not violate Hormel Food's trademark, but they prefer that when you refer to the Internet phenomenon known by that term that you use all lowercase (I've been doing it wrong forever).
3. People have been eating SPAM since 1937.
4. The usage of "spam" to refer to unsolicited commercial email comes from the famous skit done by Monty Python.
5. Here's a video of the skit.

6. Quizilla has a "What Monty Python Sketch Character are you?" quiz. Here's my results…
   

   What Monty Python Sketch Character are you?

   You are a cardinal! You love to try & get others into trouble, even if you have to make up lies...NO ONE expects the Spanish Inquisition! Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

   That's odd, I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition to come out of that skit…

7. Public Law 108-187 is titled "Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003". The Acronym CAN-SPAM Act is used to refer to this law. Who knew that Congress had a sense of humor?
8. The Federal Trade Commission has a web site devoted entirely to spam.
9. If you receive a particularly deceptive piece of spam email you can forward it to spam@uce.gov. The FTC uses forwarded mail to pursue law-enforcement actions.
10. The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 only covers email. Sadly it doesn't cover comment spam on blogs or trackback spam.
11. Over 95% of the traffic to my blog is actually spam pings or spam comments. Three quarters of the spam I receive comes from I.P. addresses in China.
12. You can use filtering software to block spam from your inbox, and from your blog, but no filter is perfect. What's worse, if your filter is too aggressive you'll end up blocking legitimate email, comments or pings, and that can be costly. There's really no escaping having to wade through it from time to time.
13. Recent trackback spam that I've received includes the following thirteen subject lines in no particular order (that's right, it's a Thursday Thirteen inside a Thursday Thirteen, consider it a bonus if you like):
    1. Joint Venture Funds
    2. Buy xanax without prescription in usa.
    3. adult cam web
    4. adult cam chat
    5. Buy cialis.
    6. Cheap phentermine.
    7. Diet pills with ephedra.
    8. Buy tramadol with american express.
    9. Gainers fat bellies teen.
       Apparently a porn site
    10. Viagra online.
    11. Xanax as a party drug.
        This one offers helpful advice on how to "commit suicide on Xanax".
    12. motor car insurance
    13. Thailand Surgery
        The abstract for this one says:

        hmmm . .. I'm not sure about that, actually. Let me think about it and I'll write more later

14. Finally, to celebrate my fourteenth Thursday Thirteen, a bonus item: I HATE spam! I don't particularly care for SPAM either.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens! (My trackback filter won't let you trackback unless you link to this post, so you can leave a comment I will add you as I get time today.):

1. Holly
2. mitchypoo
3. david
4. Matthew James Didier
5. The Crux
6. Your name here...

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Trackback URI for this post: http://perrinelson.com/track.aspx?postid=893
Permalink URI for this post: http://perrinelson.com/2007/7/26/893.aspx

Holly responded with:

I love Monty Python!



You are the Abuse Clerk! You dish out verbal (and some physical!) abuse all day long...as long as the customer keeps payin'! Aaah...such satisfying work!

The things you learn during TT. That's more than I ever wanted to know about Spam. :)

mitchypoo responded with:

Who knew? I'm a SPAM hater but I love the Monty Python skit. Happy TT! and thanks for visiting!

David responded with:

Spam!

Matthew James Didier responded with: Spamilicious!

You win me over when anything "Python" is involved!

It's too bad you can't get a rat tart without so much rat in it and spam!

The Crux responded with:

Brilliant list. I've seen the Monty Python skit (eggs, spam, ....), but I didn't know that it was the root of the term for unwanted emails.

I checked out your Civil-discourse blog and plan to comment on your debating-with-liberals piece. I'm all for civil discourse among people who disagree (and in finding common ground, because few people disagree on everything).

My T-13 is at Buck Naked Politics .