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spammore about spam

spam

 

  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  Spam 
  n  :  (trademark)  a  tinned  luncheon  meat  made  largely  from  pork 
  [syn:  {Spam}] 
 
  From  Jargon  File  (4.2.3,  23  NOV  2000)  [jargon]: 
 
  spam  vt.,vi.,n.  [from  "Monty  Python's  Flying  Circus"]  1.  To 
  crash  a  program  by  overrunning  a  fixed-size  buffer  with  excessively 
  large  input  data.  See  also  {buffer  overflow},  {overrun  screw},  {smash 
  the  stack}.  2.  To  cause  a  newsgroup  to  be  flooded  with  irrelevant  or 
  inappropriate  messages.  You  can  spam  a  newsgroup  with  as  little  as  one 
  well-  (or  ill-)  planned  message  (e.g.  asking  "What  do  you  think  of 
  abortion?"  on  soc.women).  This  is  often  done  with  {cross-post}ing 
  (e.g.  any  message  which  is  crossposted  to  alt.rush-limbaugh  and 
  alt.politics.homosexuality  will  almost  inevitably  spam  both  groups).  This 
  overlaps  with  {troll}  behavior;  the  latter  more  specific  term  has  become 
  more  common.  3.  To  send  many 
  identical  or  nearly-identical  messages  separately  to  a  large  number 
  of  Usenet  newsgroups  This  is  more  specifically  called  `ECP', 
  Excessive  Cross-Posting.  This  is  one  sure  way  to  infuriate  nearly 
  everyone  on  the  Net.  See  also  {velveeta}  and  {jello}.  4.  To  bombard  a 
  newsgroup  with  multiple  copies  of  a  message.  This  is  more  specifically 
  called  `EMP',  Excessive  Multi-Posting.  5.  To  mass-mail  unrequested 
  identical  or  nearly-identical  email  messages,  particularly  those 
  containing  advertising.  Especially  used  when  the  mail  addresses  have 
  been  culled  from  network  traffic  or  databases  without  the  consent  of 
  the  recipients.  Synonyms  include  {UCE},  {UBE}.  6.  Any  large  annoying, 
  quantity  of  output.  For  instance,  someone  on  IRC  who  walks  away  from 
  their  screen  and  comes  back  to  find  200  lines  of  text  might  say  "Oh 
  no  spam". 
 
  The  later  definitions  have  become  much  more  prevalent  as  the 
  Internet  has  opened  up  to  non-techies,  and  to  most  people  senses  3  4  and 
  5  are  now  primary.  All  three  behaviors  are  considered  abuse  of  the  net, 
  and  are  almost  universally  grounds  for  termination  of  the  originator's 
  email  account  or  network  connection.  In  these  senses  the  term  `spam'  has 
  gone  mainstream,  though  without  its  original  sense  or  folkloric  freight  - 
  there  is  apparently  a  widespread  myth  among  {luser}s  that  spamming"  is 
  what  happens  when  you  dump  cans  of  Spam  into  a  revolving  fan.  Hormel, 
  the  makers  of  Spam,  have  published  a  surprisingly  enlightened  position 
  statement  (http://www.spam.com/ci/ci_in.htm)  on  the  Internet  usage. 
 
 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  spam 
 
  1.    (From  the  Monty  Python  Spam"  song)  To  post 
  irrelevant  or  inappropriate  messages  to  one  or  more  {Usenet} 
  {newsgroups}  or  {mailing  lists}  in  deliberate  or  accidental 
  violation  of  {netiquette}. 
 
  It  is  possible  to  spam  a  newsgroup  with  one  well-  (or  ill-) 
  planned  message,  e.g.  asking  "What  do  you  think  of  abortion?" 
  on  soc.women.  This  can  be  done  by  {cross-post}ing,  e.g.  any 
  message  which  is  crossposted  to  alt.rush-limbaugh  and 
  alt.politics.homosexuality  will  almost  inevitably  spam  both 
  groups.  (Compare  {troll}  and  {flame  bait}). 
 
  Posting  a  message  to  a  significant  proportion  of  all 
  newsgroups  is  a  sure  way  to  spam  Usenet  and  become  an  object 
  of  almost  universal  hatred.  Canter  and  Siegel  spammed  the  net 
  with  their  Green  card  post 
 
  If  you  see  an  article  which  you  think  is  a  deliberate  spam,  DO 
  NOT  post  a  {follow-up}  -  doing  so  will  only  contribute  to  the 
  general  annoyance.  Send  a  polite  message  to  the  poster  by 
  private  e-mail  and  CC  it  to  postmaster"  at  the  same  address. 
  Bear  in  mind  that  the  posting's  origin  might  have  been  forged 
  or  the  apparent  sender's  account  might  have  been  used  by 
  someone  else  without  his  permission. 
 
  {Usenet}  newsgroup: 
  {news.admin.net-abuse(news:news.admin.net-abuse)}. 
 
  See  also  {netiquette}. 
 
  2.  (A  narrowing  of  sense  1,  above)  To  indiscrimately  send 
  large  amounts  of  unsolicited  {e-mail}  meant  to  promote  a 
  product  or  service.  Spam  in  this  sense  is  sort  of  like  the 
  electronic  equivalent  of  junk  mail  sent  to  "Occupant". 
 
  In  the  1990s,  with  the  rise  in  commercial  awareness  of  the 
  net,  there  are  actually  scumbags  who  offer  spamming  as  a 
  service"  to  companies  wishing  to  advertise  on  the  net.  They 
  do  this  by  mailing  to  collections  of  {e-mail}  addresses, 
  Usenet  news  or  mailing  lists.  Such  practises  have  caused 
  outrage  and  aggressive  reaction  by  many  net  users  against  the 
  individuals  concerned. 
 
  3.  (Apparently  a  generalisation  of  sense  2,  above)  To  abuse 
  any  network  service  or  tool  by  for  promotional  purposes. 
 
  "AltaVista  is  an  {index},  not  a  promotional  tool.  Attempts  to 
  fill  it  with  promotional  material  lower  the  value  of  the  index 
  for  everyone.  [...]  We  will  disallow  {URL}  submissions  from 
  those  who  spam  the  index.  In  extreme  cases,  we  will  exclude 
  all  their  pages  from  the  index."  --  {Altavista}. 
 
  4.    To  crash  a  program  by  overrunning  a 
  fixed-size  {buffer}  with  excessively  large  input  data. 
 
  See  also  {buffer  overflow},  {overrun  screw},  {smash  the  stack}. 
 
  (1997-04-08) 
 
 
 
  From  V.E.R.A.  --  Virtual  Entity  of  Relevant  Acronyms  13  March  2001  [vera]: 
 
  SPAM 
  Spiced  Pork  and  hAM  (Usenet,  EMP)




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