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Added to the usual low signal-to-noise ratio of many usenet newsgroups and to advertising posted in places where it is not wanted is the growing phenomenon of "spam". One form of this is the posting of either extremely large or extremely frequent (thousands of posts per hour) posts with absolutely no usable content. It is done in the hope that real discussion in the newsgroup will be drowned out entirely. The spammer's intent is to suppress discussions that s/he find offensive.

While some form of spamming has probably existed since the beginning of the internet, the first major attack, which continues to this day, was launched by the church of scientology in order to silence its critics on the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology. Since then the technique has been used by many others who wish to stifle open discussions for whatever reason.

There have been many theories as to the origin of the term, but one that has some credibility is that the term originated in the Monty Python sketch which is reproduced below.

****  The Spam Sketch                                                      ****
****  From the second series of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"             ****
****  Transcribed 9/17/87 from "Monty Python's Previous Record" by         ****
****  Jonathan Partington ( [email protected] )                           ****
 
 
(Spam = Spiced Pork And Ham, a sort of cheap luncheon meat)
 
Scene:  A cafe.  One table is occupied by a group of Vikings with horned
        helmets on.  A man and his wife enter.
 
Man (Eric Idle): You sit here, dear.
Wife (Graham Chapman in drag): All right.
Man (to Waitress): Morning!
Waitress (Terry Jones, in drag as a bit of a rat-bag): Morning!
Man:      Well, what've you got?
Waitress: Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam;
          egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage
          and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam
          bacon spam tomato and spam;
Vikings (starting to chant): Spam spam spam spam...
Waitress: ...spam spam spam egg and spam; spam spam spam spam spam spam baked
          beans spam spam spam...
Vikings (singing):  Spam!  Lovely spam!  Lovely spam!
Waitress:  ...or Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a
          Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with
          truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.
Wife:     Have you got anything without spam?
Waitress: Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in
          it.
Wife:     I don't want ANY spam!
Man:      Why can't she have egg bacon spam and sausage?
Wife:     THAT'S got spam in it!
Man:      Hasn't got as much spam in it as spam egg sausage and spam, has it?
Vikings:  Spam spam spam spam (crescendo through next few lines)
Wife:     Could you do the egg bacon spam and sausage without the spam then?
Waitress: Urgghh!
Wife:     What do you mean 'Urgghh'? I don't like spam!
Vikings:  Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!)
Waitress: Shut up!
Vikings:  Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!
Waitress: Shut up!  (Vikings stop) Bloody Vikings!  You can't have egg bacon
          spam and sausage without the spam.
Wife (shrieks): I don't like spam!
Man:      Sshh, dear, don't cause a fuss.  I'll have your spam.  I love it.
          I'm having spam spam spam spam spam spam spam beaked beans spam spam
          spam and spam!
Vikings (singing):  Spam spam spam spam.  Lovely spam!  Wonderful spam!
Waitress: Shut up!! Baked beans are off.
Man:      Well could I have her spam instead of the baked beans then?
Waitress: You mean spam spam spam spam spam spam...  (but it is too late and
          the Vikings drown her words)
Vikings (singing elaborately):  Spam spam spam spam.  Lovely spam!  Wonderful
          spam!  Spam spa-a-a-a-a-am spam spa-a-a-a-a-am spam.  Lovely spam!
          Lovely spam!  Lovely spam!  Lovely spam!  Lovely spam!  Spam spam
          spam spam!
 
 
****  end of file SPAM PYTHON  9/18/87 ****
From:       [email protected]
To:         Clarinet@YALEVM

Sample Flame Template

Dear:


[x] Clueless Newbie  [ ] Loser
[ ] indy.netter
[ ] Me too'er        [ ] Pervert      [ ] Geek
[ ] Spammer          [ ] Nerd         [ ] Elvis
[ ] Fed              [ ] Freak        [ ] FLAMENET
[ ] AOLer/Euronetter/PIer/MSNetter
[x] Other: Unbearably self-righteous person


You Are Being Flamed Because:

[ ] You posted a message in a newsgroup other than your topic
[ ] You posted a binary in pieces LESS than 5000 lines
[ ] You posted a binary in a non-binaries group
[ ] You quoted an ENTIRE post in your reply
[x] You demonstrated abysmal ignorance by flaming sombody who was *right*
[ ] You asked a question clearly answered in the FAQ
[ ] You continued a long, stupid thread
[ ] You started an off-topic thread
[ ] You posted a "YOU ALL SUCK" message
[ ] You said "me too" to something or "Send ______"
[ ] You don't know which group to post in
[ ] You suck
[ ] You brag about things that never happened
[ ] Your sig/alias/server sucks
[ ] You posted a (phone-sex or a make money fast) ad
[ ] You posted something totally uninteresting
[ ] You crossposted
[ ] You posted a message all written in CAPS
[ ] You posted racist shit
[x] I don't like your tone of voice
[ ] I think you might be a member of CO$
[ ] I think you might be a fed
[ ] You sent me an advertisement for something not legal in the US
[ ] You junkmailed me

To Repent, You Must:

[ ] Give up your  AOL/Euronet/MSN/Planet Internet account
[x] Bust up your modem with a hammer and eat it
[x] Jump into a bathtub while holding your monitor
[ ] Actually post something relevant
[x] Read the f****** FAQ
[x] Be Pat Buchanan's love slave
[ ] Be the guest of honor in alt.flame for a month
[x] Apologize to everybody in this newsgroup
[ ] Post your tests to alt.test/misc.test


In Closing, I'd Like to Say:

[ ] Get a life
[x] Never post again
[x] I pity your dog
[ ] Go to hell
[x] I think your IQ must be 7
[x] Take your drivel somewhere else
[ ] Learn to post or buzz off
[ ] Do us all a favor and jump into some industrial equipment
[ ] See how far your tongue will fit into the electric outlet
[ ] All of the above


--- Copy of offending material follows ---