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Computing History & Legendary BugsInternet History

The First Spam

In 1978 an ad was emailed to 400 people, and they were furious

Before inboxes filled up with junk, one ad in 1978 made a few hundred people furious. What did it say, and who sent it?

You'll find out

  • Who sent the very first spam
  • Why the replies were so angry
  • Where the word spam came from

Why it matters

Every junk email you delete follows a path opened in 1978, and its story shows why spam is so cheap to send.

About 3 min6 interactive slides · 5 questionsLesson 228 · Zone 26

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