Chuck,
Obviously you know one when you see it but finding the essence is almost
impossible.
"The Anti-Spam Research Group (ASRG) focuses on the problem of unwanted email
messages"
Thats the important point, there is a definition encapsulated there, and there
does need to be a concrete definition of spam or any resulting paper using the
term will be based upon an ambiguous initial assumption, and open to
misinterpretation. I believe that my second, refined, definition is clear
enough to provide a working definition which can be used to unambiguously
"understand the problem and collectively propose and evaluate solutions to the
problem."
Spam is commercial speech delivered via email.
Not that alone, it is also primarily unwanted, and as you point out later may
be of another class than commercial.
Does a subscription email
list fall into this category - it may or may not - it depends on the
purpose of the list.
And whether or not the recipients want to receive it.
If I sign up for a product download and provide my address I may then receive
unexpected security notifications, this may be unsolicited but welcome, and
hence not spam.
I want to know what person thinks CNN "event"
notification isn't commercial speech - CNN is in business to make money.
Assume no one, but it isn't spam if people want to receive them.
On the other hand a mail from EFF isn't commercial
speech
I expect the EFF's mailings would be considered political and if they are
unwanted they'll be political spam.
At any rate we agree that spam probably isn't personal.
d.
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