Sending Out Spam
<p>The first ‘spam’ email, sent to ARPANET users on behalf of the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), landed in Inboxes on 3rd May, 1978.</p><br><p>Marketer Gary Thuerk was responsible for the idea - but his execution was flawed, as he inadvertently filled the body of his message with email addresses, overflowing from the To and CC fields. Recipients weren't amused. Some grumbled, others chuckled, but all felt the intrusion...&nbsp;</p><br><p>In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider whether this e-marketing stumble truly qualifies as ‘spam’ in the modern sense; trace the origins of the Monty Python-derived term for unsolicited email; and marvel at the available storage space in the early days of the internet…</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Further Reading:</strong></p><p>• ‘Happy spamiversary! Spam reaches 30’ (New Scientist, 2008): <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13777-happy-spamiversary-spam-reaches-30/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13777-happy-spamiversary-spam-reaches-30/</a></p><p>• ‘America is Uncle Spam’ (Financial Times, 2018): <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/59014392-4947-11e8-8c77-ff51caedcde6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ft.com/content/59014392-4947-11e8-8c77-ff51caedcde6</a></p><p>• ‘Database: How to send an 'E mail'’ (Thames TV, 1984): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szdbKz5CyhA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szdbKz5CyhA</a></p><br><p><strong>We'll be back on Monday - unless you join </strong>🌴<strong>CLUB RETROSPECTORS</strong>🌴<strong>, where we give you ad-free listening AND a full-length Sunday episode every week!</strong></p><p>Plus, weekly bonus content, unlock over 70 bonus bits, and support our independent podcast.</p><p><strong>Join now via </strong><a href="https://apple.co/3xCWWQX" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Apple Podcasts</strong></a><strong> or </strong><a href="https://patreon.com/Retrospectors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Patreon</strong></a><strong>. </strong>Thanks!</p><p><em>The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.</em></p><p><em>Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.</em></p><p><em>Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024</em>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Today In History with The Retrospectors
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Show Notes
The first ‘spam’ email, sent to ARPANET users on behalf of the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), landed in Inboxes on 3rd May, 1978.
Marketer Gary Thuerk was responsible for the idea - but his execution was flawed, as he inadvertently filled the body of his message with email addresses, overflowing from the To and CC fields. Recipients weren't amused. Some grumbled, others chuckled, but all felt the intrusion...
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider whether this e-marketing stumble truly qualifies as ‘spam’ in the modern sense; trace the origins of the Monty Python-derived term for unsolicited email; and marvel at the available storage space in the early days of the internet…
Further Reading:
• ‘Happy spamiversary! Spam reaches 30’ (New Scientist, 2008): https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13777-happy-spamiversary-spam-reaches-30/
• ‘America is Uncle Spam’ (Financial Times, 2018): https://www.ft.com/content/59014392-4947-11e8-8c77-ff51caedcde6
• ‘Database: How to send an 'E mail'’ (Thames TV, 1984): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szdbKz5CyhA
We'll be back on Monday - unless you join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴, where we give you ad-free listening AND a full-length Sunday episode every week!
Plus, weekly bonus content, unlock over 70 bonus bits, and support our independent podcast.
Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!
The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.
Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.
Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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