Spam is unsolicited e-mail on the Internet sent in bulk. Originators can send to a list obtained from a Spambot. A Spambot is a program designed to collect e-mail addresses from the Internet in order to build mailing lists for sending unsolicited e-mail. A Spambot can gather e-mail addresses from Web sites, newsgroups, special-interest group (SIG) postings, and chat-room conversations. Senders can also obtain lists compiled by companies that specialize in creating e-mail distribution lists. Unlike unsolicited sales and marketing calls on the telephone, the user pays for part of the message since everyone shares the cost of maintaining the Internet. Spammers typically send a piece of e-mail to a distribution list in the millions, expecting that only a minuscule percentage of readers will respond to their offer. Given the fact that Spammers can send out millions of e-mails in a short period of time, even a .01% response can be lucrative. |