You've Got Spam

Nolo, November, 2006

Spam is Internet slang for unsolicited email, primarily unsolicited commercial email (UCE). The use of the term "spam" (a trademarked Hormel meat product) is supposedly derived from a Monty Python sketch in which Spam is included in every dish offered at a restaurant. Recipients of spam often consider it an unwanted intrusion in their mailbox.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs), such as America Online, consider spam to be a financial drain and an impediment to Internet access because it can clog an ISP's available bandwidth. Spam has also been linked with fraudulent business schemes, chain letters, and offensive sexual and political messages. Not all bulk email is spam. Some is permission-based, meaning that the recipient has asked to receive it. This occurs when a user at a...