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CYHIST Sep. 19, 1997 A
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========================================================================= Date: Fri, 19 Sep 1997 07:56:45 +0200
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Peter van Heusden <pvh@LEFTSIDE.WCAPE.SCHOOL.ZA>
Subject: history of spam (was history of acceptable use)
In-Reply-To: <m0xBYC9-001NFXC@picasso.wcape.school.za> MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
On Thu, 18 Sep 1997, Automatic digest processor wrote:
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 10:35:10 -0500
>From: "John S. Quarterman" <jsq@MIDS.ORG> Subject: Re: history of acceptable use policies
>
>______________________________________________________________________
>Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
>
>
>>I don't have the actual answer to your question David, but I do have an impression.
>>It was the web protocol that changed everything.
>>
>>a) The web is non-intrusive in that you get nothing unless you ask for it. Using email
>>or Usenet protocols for commercial purposes, by contrast, were very intrusive and
>>annoying. Note that spamming is still hotly opposed,even today.
>
>Spamming is a new development of the past two or three years. It developed after the web, not before.
I wonder what your definition of spam is. When I first got onto the Internet in 1992, there were already cases like that of Serdar Argic (I've forgotten the spelling, so correct me if I'm wrong), which seemed to be a robot which picked up on any mentioned of specific terms, and in response posted some revisionist posting about the Armenian genocide. At one stage, postings from Argic took up a significant part of the soc.* groups on USENET, as I recall. I'm pretty certain that was formally considered spam at that stage.
I also recall some evangelist spamming a very large number of groups in 1993 or so - can't recall the details.
Of course, the current level of spam, where you get sent commercial email if you post *anything* to USENET, and the prevalence of Make Money Fast and sex related spams is a new thing - broadly, imo, linked to the 'popularisation' of the Internet (which basically has happened since 1993). I recall when I got online in 1992, netiquette was pretty much known by everyone and taken seriously. This might have been linked to the fact that people then generally knew a bit more about the structure of the Net, and were more aware of the implications of their actions.
Peter
--
Peter van Heusden | Computers Networks Reds Greens Justice Peace Beer Africa pvh@leftside.wcape.school.za | Support the SAMWU 50 litres campaign!
______________________________________________________________________
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Peter van Heusden <pvh@LEFTSIDE.WCAPE.SCHOOL.ZA>
Subject: history of spam (was history of acceptable use)
In-Reply-To: <m0xBYC9-001NFXC@picasso.wcape.school.za> MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
On Thu, 18 Sep 1997, Automatic digest processor wrote:
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 10:35:10 -0500
>From: "John S. Quarterman" <jsq@MIDS.ORG> Subject: Re: history of acceptable use policies
>
>______________________________________________________________________
>Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
>
>
>>I don't have the actual answer to your question David, but I do have an impression.
>>It was the web protocol that changed everything.
>>
>>a) The web is non-intrusive in that you get nothing unless you ask for it. Using email
>>or Usenet protocols for commercial purposes, by contrast, were very intrusive and
>>annoying. Note that spamming is still hotly opposed,even today.
>
>Spamming is a new development of the past two or three years. It developed after the web, not before.
I wonder what your definition of spam is. When I first got onto the Internet in 1992, there were already cases like that of Serdar Argic (I've forgotten the spelling, so correct me if I'm wrong), which seemed to be a robot which picked up on any mentioned of specific terms, and in response posted some revisionist posting about the Armenian genocide. At one stage, postings from Argic took up a significant part of the soc.* groups on USENET, as I recall. I'm pretty certain that was formally considered spam at that stage.
I also recall some evangelist spamming a very large number of groups in 1993 or so - can't recall the details.
Of course, the current level of spam, where you get sent commercial email if you post *anything* to USENET, and the prevalence of Make Money Fast and sex related spams is a new thing - broadly, imo, linked to the 'popularisation' of the Internet (which basically has happened since 1993). I recall when I got online in 1992, netiquette was pretty much known by everyone and taken seriously. This might have been linked to the fact that people then generally knew a bit more about the structure of the Net, and were more aware of the implications of their actions.
Peter
--
Peter van Heusden | Computers Networks Reds Greens Justice Peace Beer Africa pvh@leftside.wcape.school.za | Support the SAMWU 50 litres campaign!
______________________________________________________________________
