Spam going Oink! :@)

Hurrah, it's time for another news update!

Those of you that follow the *technology* article that pops up in The Hindu every sunday should have seen this already; everyday spam that includes suggestions for enlargement products seems to be evolving - at least the part of it that tries to catch your attention. The latest subjects are not about the cheapest new drugs from Pfizer but about pop idol Madonna sneezing away with a swine flu infection. All you Hard Candy fans out there needn't worry though; the queen of pop is fine, a bit blue over the use of her name, if anything. She isn't the only one though; with names running from Sarah Palin to Pam Anderson, a few clicks seem to be occuring if Symantec figures are anything to go by.

The reason I bring this is up is not to warn you about the new threats. Heck, I couldn't care less and I do trust most of you empty the spam folders without a second's glance. I decided to write about this because I found it funny. Some of the quizzers out there might have already hit this, but for those that don't rummage through Wiki, here is a little about the history of spam:

The term is common now with its liberal usage in mainstream media (which pretty much amounts to spam itself) but all of it originated some time in 1970. Yup, before internet and Sildenafil products were commonplace. During the British food rationing during World War II, one of the few meats excluded was a processed meat product that contained pork shoulders and some ham - and called spam. As the people tired of it, a group known as Monty Python made a sketch for TV revolving around spam taking over the menu in a restaurant. Taking off from here, the term had its circulation and eventually entered the digital world where it came to stand for the e-mails that are hated today.

The whole thing is funny when you think about it. The pork and bacon in the beginning, and the eventual emergence of the spam going Oink! Full circle, eh?