DOLMENWEB

The term “spam” as it is used to denote mass unsolicited mailings or
netnews postings is derived from a Monty Python sketch set in a
movie/tv studio cafeteria.

During that sketch, the word “spam” takes
over each item offered on the menu until the entire dialogue consists
of nothing but “spam spam spam spam spam spam and spam.” This so
closely resembles what happens when mass unsolicited mail and posts
take over mailing lists and netnews groups that the term has been
pushed into common usage in the Internet community.

When unsolicited mail is sent to a mailing list and/or news group it
frequently generates more hate mail to the list or group or apparent
sender by people who do not realize the true source of the message.
If the mailing contains suggestions for removing your name from a
mailing list, 10s to 100s of people will respond to the list with
“remove” messages meant for the originator. So, the original message
(spam) creates more unwanted mail (spam spam spam spam), which
generates more unwanted mail (spam spam spam spam spam spam and
spam). Similar occurrences are perpetrated in newsgroups, but this
is held somewhat in check by “cancelbots” (programs which cancel
postings) triggered by mass posting. Recently, cancelbots have grown
less in favor with those administering News servers since the
cancelbots are now generating the same amount of traffic as spam.
Even News admins are beginning to use filters, demonstrating that
spam spam spam spam spam spam and spam is a monumental problem.