Social Media Minute—Are You Guilty of Spamming?

by Edie Melson
Spam on the Internet is a big no-no. The definition has changed somewhat over the years and now includes social media posts as well as email. No average Internet user would ever dream of intentionally spamming, but without care we can be guilty of spamming.
Why is it called Spam?
There are a lot of theories about where the term SPAM originated, one school of thought is that it originated from the computer group lab at the University of Southern California. Those there applied that honorific because it has many of the same characteristics as the canned version we find in super markets.
Another accepted opinion is that it came from the Monty Python son, “Spam spam spam spam, spam spam spam spam, lovely spam, wonderful spam” since, Internet spam is often repetitious and worthless.
Regardless of where the name came from, we all try to avoid receiving it, and definitely want to avoid sending it.
5 Ways to Avoid Becoming a Spammer

1. Don’t Click on Suspicious Links. These can be found in email, as well as on social media and can infect you with a virus that sends spam to your contacts. If you get an email stating they’ve seen a funny video of you and including a link, do NOT click on the link.