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The Ultimate Definition of What is Spam

When spam first became a widespread phenomenon, back, oh, between 15 and 20 years ago, part of the problem in using existing laws to go after spam – or, indeed, in creating new laws specifically addressing spam – was that nobody could really agree on what is spam. What is the definition of spam? It was sort of like that classic line from Justice Potter Stewart – everyone would know it when they saw it, but nobody could quite agree on what “it” was. That all changed when Paul Vixie, founder of Mail Abuse Prevention System (“MAPS” – which is ‘spam’ spelled backwards) and I sat down and hammered out the definitive definition of spam.

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The “What is Spam?” Survey! (Please Help Us by Taking It!)

Spam is one of those “I know it when I see it” sorts of things. Most of us can agree on things that are definitely spam (such as “herbal enhancement” and “make money fast” email), and things that definitely are not spam (an email from mom saying she’s sending cookies, or from your boss giving you a bonus). But it’s that big grey area in the middle where people don’t necessarily agree: one man’s spam is another man’s “Hey, that’s useful.” Please answer the following quick questions to help us determine how *you* view spam, and what is spam, and what isn’t.