Repetition is key to skit's hilarity. The actors cram word "SPAM" into 2.5 minute skit more than 104 times! This flood prompted Usenet readers to call unwanted newsgroup postings "spam." The name stuck.

Spammers soon focused on e-mail, and terminology moved with them. Today, word has come out of technical obscurity. Now, "spam" is common term for "Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail", or "UCE."

---------------------------------- WHY DOES BAD SPAM HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE? ----------------------------------

Chances are, you've been spammed before. Somehow, your e-mail address has found it's way into hands of a spammer, and your inbox is suffering consequences. How does this happen? There are several possibilities.

BACKSTABBING BUSINESSES - Businesses often keep lists of their customers' e-mail addresses. This is a completely legitimate practice and, usually, nothing bad comes of it. Sometimes though, temptation to make a quick buck is too great, and these lists are sold or rented to outside advertisers. The result? A lot of unsolicited e-mail, and a serious breach of trust.

RANDOM ADDRESS GENERATION - Computer programs called random address generators simply "guess" e-mail addresses. Over 100 million hotmail addresses exist – how hard could it be to guess some of them? Unfortunately for many unsuspecting netizens – not too hard. Many spammers also guess at "standard" addresses, like "support@yourdomain.com", "info@yourdomain.com", and "billing@yourdomain.com."

WEB SPIDERS - Today's most insidious list-gathering tools are web spiders. All of major search engines spider web, saving information about each page. Spammers use tools that also spider web, but save any *e-mail address* they come across. Your personal web page lists your e-mail address? Prepare for an onslaught!

CHAT ROOM HARVESTING - ISP's offer vastly popular chat rooms where users are known only by their screen names. Of course, spammers know that your screen name is first part of your e-mail address. Why waste time guessing e-mail addresses when a few hours of lurking in a chat room can net a list of actively-used addresses?

THE POOR MAN'S BAD MARKETING IDEA - It didn't work for phone companies, and it won't work for e-mail marketers. But, some spammers still keep their own friends-and-family- style e-mail lists. Compiled from addresses of other known spammers, and people or buisnesses that owner has come across in past, these lists are still illegitimate. Why? Only you can give someone permission to send you e-mail. A friend-of-a-friend's permission won't cut it.

---------------------------------- STOP THE FLOOD TO YOUR INBOX ----------------------------------

We've all heard people say, "well, why not just hit delete key?" I used to take time to try and explain problem to these people, but I've since realized that there is a brand of ignorance which cannot be penetrated by reason or logic. Now I just nod and smile, and change subject.

Spam would not be so bad if it was just one or two emails now and then. Unfortunately, it's not just one person sending an unsolicited advertisement once a month - it's hundreds or even thousands. And emails are virtually always regarding some scam, a useless product or, very often, some pornographic or money making scheme. I've received tens of thousands of spam emails over years, and not once has any of them ever been of value.

I don't understand why spammers don't get message that their emails are unwanted. Why do they keep sending out their useless advertisements? Do people actually purchase anything from them? Do these people really make money?

Okay, so what happens to spammers anyway?

Your amateur spammer must feel very much like a criminal does. You see, they must hide their identities in any number of devious ways to prevent their ISP and web hosts from shutting them down. New laws are being passed which make these people into real criminals, making it even more important that they remain hidden.