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# sorry to threadjack
but on a sort of food related theme: Does anyone know why spam (the internet type) is called spam?
(ms marmite, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:04, archived)
# after the Python sketch


"SPAM is a meat product that is widely available in the US and other
places (see www.spam.com for details). Monty Python was a comedy
troupe from the UK that wrote and produced TV programs, plays and movies.
One of their most famous skits involved a group of vikings that visit
a restaurant and start ordering all dishes with spam (the meat product).
They also start singing 'Spam, Spam, Spam' loudly and over and over again.
They make all other conversation impossible and are very irritating.
This probably does not sound too funny when I describe it this way but
it is actually quite entertaining.

The initial waves of spam (junk mail) was in newsgroups. This large
amount of unwanted crap made normal discussion impossible which reminded
people of the Monty Python skit about SPAM. Thus everyone started calling
these junk newsgroup mailings as spam.

When the spammers started sending their junk via email, it did not have
the same effect but since it was the same people sending the same junk,
everyone called it 'spam'. In the early days of junk email, some folks
insisted on calling it UCE (unsolicited commercial email) or
UBE (unsolicited bulk email). But spam is much easier to say and most
people were familiar with the term. So, all junk postings - on email or
on newsgroups or on web-based message boards - is now called spam."
(I helped save b3ta! thirdman Ia! Ia! R'lyeh Cthulhu ftagn! Ia! Ia! Mglui nafl, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:04, archived)
# spam, spam, eggs, spam, spam, spam, chips, spam, ham and spam.
and pie
(I helped save b3ta! wingphil, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:06, archived)
# yup.
SPAM SPAM EGGS CHIPS SPAM AND SPAM.
SPAM EGGS SPAM SPAM SPAM CHIPS AND SPAM

etc.
(I helped save b3ta! itwontbeeasy, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:07, archived)
# the spam website
is almost too good to be true. Check out the spam turkey!
(ms marmite, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:13, archived)
# well done
you have enlightened me.


here you are:

don't spend it all at once.

congratulations to you.
(TopGun6061, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:14, archived)
# Wow
you're very generous with your scanned money...
(F1Monkey, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:16, archived)
# i know
thank you.


and remember, giving you brits pounds, is three times as expensive for me as it is for you.

what's 3 times nothing again?
(TopGun6061, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:21, archived)
# check your email
mr topgun6061

oops! this is munkt0n by the way..
(I helped save b3ta! jiva nearly always up for a game of scrabble, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:22, archived)
# If you like spam
then check out
this
(I helped save b3ta! Mond, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:16, archived)
# because it's
pink and made of pigs. I think.
(I helped save b3ta! thorpe www.voodootrombonequartet.com, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:05, archived)
# hmmm
good question.


anybody who can answer this, i will give them a scanned 20 pound note.
(TopGun6061, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:06, archived)
# Make sure you watermark it with 'SPECIMEN'
else the men in blach coats will take you away for forgery.
(I helped save b3ta! sick_boy, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:13, archived)
# and yet
i didn't scan it, and i don't live in a country where the above pound notes are spent.

i just linked to someone else's picture of a foreign currency.

i feel pretty safe.

but maybe that's just my adolescent feeling of invincibility.

...i hear helicopters, and footsteps on the roof...
(TopGun6061, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:16, archived)
# I think I read somewhere
that it's from the early days of the Interweb when people would post messages to newsgroups that just said 'spam' repeatedly.
(F1Monkey, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:06, archived)
# Like this:
spamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspam
spamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspam
spamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspam
spamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspam
spamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspam
spamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspamspam
(F1Monkey, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:06, archived)
# doesn't that say
pams ?
(ms marmite, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:10, archived)
# Oh
damn
(F1Monkey, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:12, archived)
# Spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam
Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!

Spammity spam etc!

where are the vikings when you need 'em?
(I helped save b3ta! gingerbenji wrote a book http://goo.gl/8UiGjd, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:07, archived)
# There's this thing called google.
Use it. It's your friend.
(I helped save b3ta! SpunkyBackpack, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:07, archived)
# but you are all so much friendlier
and more amusing
(ms marmite, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:09, archived)
# except for
ole Spunky up there.
(I helped save b3ta! Dr Phil Kitten, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:10, archived)
# Are you kind of
named after Ms Dynamite?
(F1Monkey, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:10, archived)
# yes
I am a more yeasty salty version.
(ms marmite, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:12, archived)
# Amazing
you either love it or you hate it.
(F1Monkey, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:13, archived)
# and the same is true
of me
(ms marmite, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:16, archived)
# Really?
How does one decide?
(F1Monkey, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:18, archived)
# spread delicately
and apply tongue
(ms marmite, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:19, archived)
# Boik!


/off for cold shower
(I helped save b3ta! thirdman Ia! Ia! R'lyeh Cthulhu ftagn! Ia! Ia! Mglui nafl, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:21, archived)
# that sort of comment
causes heat under a plethora of collars, you know
(I helped save b3ta! Pootle, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:32, archived)
# If only everyone
used that technique to decide who they liked, the world would be a much better place.
(F1Monkey, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:34, archived)
# suck it and see


;)
(I helped save b3ta! thirdman Ia! Ia! R'lyeh Cthulhu ftagn! Ia! Ia! Mglui nafl, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:20, archived)
# Its
...I don't know.
(I helped save b3ta! bovine I'm so old, even my old is old, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:07, archived)
# that's
...I see
(I helped save b3ta! rogan, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:08, archived)
# but
... can't be
(I helped save b3ta! mnb098mnb used to be here, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:13, archived)
# Look its
...nevermind.
(I helped save b3ta! bovine I'm so old, even my old is old, Thu 23 Jan 2003, 11:14, archived)