Week 5 EOC: What is the origin of the word 'Spam'?

When we hear of Spam we immediately relate it to the Hormel Foods processed luncheon meat, but not in the Internet world.  Spam is related to junk emails or abuse on the Internet, mainly consisting of  junk e-mails sent to people who have not requested them.   So, how did the word 'Spam' get to be a common word in the Internet?  It is thought that the first E-mail Spam came about in 1978.
'Use of the term "spam" was adopted as a result of the Monty Python skit in which our SPAM® canned meat product was featured. In this skit, a group of Vikings sang a chorus of "spam, spam, spam . . . " in an increasing crescendo, drowning out other conversation. Hence, the analogy applied because UCE was drowning out normal discourse on the Internet.' (http://www.spam.com/about/Internet.aspx).  The best way to get people to submit their e-mail addresses is by providing them with valuable information such as a monthly newsletter.

So is spamming illegal?  'Part of the problem is that the explosive growth of the Internet, and the very recent rise of professional spammers, has moved much faster than the laws, or the knowledge of the people who are supposed to enforce them. For example, most people at the US FCC, which has jurisdiction over interstate junk faxes, don't even know what junk e-mail is, let alone how the laws they enforce apply to it. (The FCC's Consumer Litigation department can be reached toll-free at 1-888-225-5322)' (http://spam.abuse.net/faq/)

Others think Spam got its name when a group of people decided to throw Spam luncheon meat to a moving fan, the mess this creates all over the room, walls and furniture is how they felt about receiving unwanted junk e-mails.