What SPAM stands for.

[PrivateInvestigator]

The word SPAM on the internet means the sending of unsolicited bulk emails (usually offering you viagra).

But does anyone know what it stands for?

It doesn't stand for anything. It is called SPAM due to a monty python sketch in which several vikings are trying to order a meal from a restaurant.

Do you want bacon, spam, eggs, spam, spam and spam? or spam, sausages, eggs, spam and bacon and spam?

Remember this episode?

 

[temi]

Is that really where spam come from or are you joking ?

 

[PrivateInvestigator]

no really, that's it.

 

[PrivateInvestigator]

some supporting evidence.

http://www.templetons.com/brad/spamterm.html

the actual spam sketch

http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_python.htm

 

[Robster]

I'd always just thought of net spam in connection to the the tinned luncheon meat itself. I've seen the python sketch and now you say it it makes sense, seeing as in that case its something that's unwanted and annoying. Ah well, as they say you learn something new every day.

 

[stealthhosts]

It doesn't stand for anything because it is not an acronym. SPAM is an actual word, like mail or computer.

The acronym relating to spam is UCE (Unsolicited Commercial Email) and UBE/M Unsolicited Bulk Email/Mail

The sources quoted were taken from suggestions for the meanings of acronyms - but were nonsense, as SPAM was never an acronym.

 

[PrivateInvestigator]

I know it isn't an acronym, that's what I'm saying. It was litery taken from a monty python sketch about spam, it was just that in the sketches spam was repeated several hundred times hence the name.

 

[stealthhosts]

Sorry, I misunderstood and (as usual) skim read.

That is one school of thought, although generally it is considered to be a myth.

quote:

Back in the BBS (Bulletin Board System) days with the NEW high-speed V32 2400-baud modems it would take a very long time to download a program or picture from your BBS. This was much like USENET is today you upload some thing and others can download it.
One such uploader advertised his posts as pictures of nude women. After a half hour download and putting all the pieces together the picture turned out to be a picture of a can of SPAM. Where are my nude ladies and an hour of my time? People replied to the messages and wrote SPAM. This way we knew not to D/L that picture. After USENET got going the term stuck meaning something false - do not download (or believe) this. The jump to UBE (Unsolicited Bulk Email) or UCE (Unsolicited Commercial Email) being called SPAM was a natural evolution of the term."

 

[PrivateInvestigator]

wow its getting to be like the internet's own urban legened.... I bet there's another few SPAM original stories out there.

 

[stealthhosts]

yeah, too true.
I would imagine that it's as difficult to find the origins of many words. Perhaps different people started using them for different reasons and all the explanations are valid.

who knows?