Definition Of Spam
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Many instances exist where any unwelcome email is perceived as spam, when in reality they have nothing to do with spam or spammers. This section is a good starting point to learn about the basics of spam, their origins and characteristics, and when it is and isn’t spam. We’ll seek to answer common questions on many users’ minds, including why do spammers send spam, the profile of a typical spammer and the types of spam they send.
What is Spam?
Before we begin to tackle the problem, it is important to define what is spam and what is not. Very often email messages are mistaken for spam, and spammers get the blame whether they had anything to do with it or not. Some examples are email hoaxes forwarded by friends or relatives, or Trojan emails sent from an infected PC, to newsletter based emails. Just as its important for the fire department to screen false alarms, its just as important to seek a definition of spam in order to properly scope the problem.
With that in mind, we can assertively define spam when it shows signs of all of the following :-
- It is always unsolicited. The recipient did not request and had not given permission to receive it.
- It is always marketing certain products and is commercial in nature.
- It is always sent in bulk to thousands of recipients.
Beyond these characteristics, there are no clear definitions on what constitutes spam.
What is not Spam?
Quite invariably, many emails are perceived as spam, when it is in fact not spam. Some examples of these :-
- Computer Worms or Viruses. Viruses propagate through the internet and what better way to spread than by email. An infected PC will send copies of emails to all recipients stored in the address book. Such emails contain viral messages enticing the recipient to open the attachment, and thereby further propagating itself through the now infected PC’s address book.
- Email hoaxes, chain emails forwarded by friends or relatives. These are not considered spam as the sender is usually known to the recipient. The senders are usually well intentioned, although their actions are derogatory.
- Subscriber based, opt-in emails or permission based marketing. Such emails are sent because the recipient had requested to receive information on the subject. As long as the sender follows certain guidelines, these are not considered as spam.
It is important to note that no amount of anti-spam measure can curb the spread of such emails. More importantly, no effort is being made either in any formal anti-spam initiative to control the flow of such emails. It is mentioned here so that you may understand the boundaries which any spam blocker or spam fighting technology operates.
Spam Definition
Legislators spend an inordinate amount of time attempting to find a definition of spam. Many technical terms have been used which only adds to the confusion instead of solving it. For the layman, the definition of spam simply means :-
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"Any email, promotional in nature which is sent in bulk, and without the permission of the recipient is considered spam".