Spam reaches 30-year anniversary
Spam – the scourge of every e-mail inbox – celebrates its 30th anniversary this weekend.
The first recognisable e-mail marketing message was sent on 3 May, 1978 to 400 people on behalf of DEC – a now-defunct computer-maker.
The message was sent via Arpanet – the internet’s forerunner – and won its sender much criticism from recipients.
Thirty years on, spam has grown into an underground industry that sends out billions of messages every day.
