I wouldn’t be misplaced if I say the internet is like my first home, since I spend more time there than on real earth. It’s a virtual place where I love exploring its alleys and partake the various benefits almost all free of cost — reference websites, address books, social bookmarking, email clients, et al. In short while I am surfing, I have a global passport of visiting any place without worrying too much about safety unless I download something that’s detrimental to my system. During my office hours, I am advised (rather compelled) to curb my sojourns across the information superhighway to protect the internal network where thousands like me are traveling on business purpose. Every morning though I check my mailbox for any new communication which I might have received during the course of the night. And while doing so I cannot resist the temptation of visiting the spam folder (or bulk email folder depending upon the client you prefer), to see and be intrigued at what the underground world has offered me today.
As compared to the rest, the amount of mails that I receive could hardly make anyone envious of me. It’s understandable considering my reserved stance and I am not regretting it one bit. However reserved I choose to be, the spam folder receives more (unsolicited) mails daily no matter how much effort I invest in protecting my online identity from the evil world. Although the spiteful nature of the content ensures it ends up automatically in the spam folder which I prefer to call a prison, thankfully to be “executed” (deleted) in a time bound fashion.
There are various kinds of spams which keep pouring in and some are truly funny judging from their subject lines. A particular one talks about ingesting “pills” that would assist in increasing the size of a certain inane part of the body and guarantees “instant success” after convincingly quoting a few testimonials from its “satisfied” customers (almost all of them women). There was another that asked me to “forget the doctor” and rely simply on the online medication, a sure shot prescription for disaster to be precise. Another one purportedly from an African nation promises millions of dollars in cash if I sent my reply to the sender. The sender was convinced that the money belonged to a head of state who has died in a conflict. There are more such mails which offer cash incentives, immigration promises and “lucky draw jackpot” prizes, all with the single aim of luring the unsuspecting reader and drawing cash. There are many who go for the kill and get “killed” themselves in the process.
I believe that spam by its nature has a tendency to reflect the undercurrent moods and trends of the society. From individuals who want to “show-off” their programming skills by writing a virus program to porn stars wanting to make a quick buck by inviting you to their online domains to cloudy pharmaceutical “companies” selling their shady concoctions — it’s a marketplace where restraint must be exercised at all levels. In such a scenario, it’s reassuring to find a facility like the spam folder which entraps spammers although it’s not successful in its duties at every time. There are some (mails) which end up in this black hole much the same as our Bollywood storyline, as they await my arrival to free them from the clutches of the villains. Alas! there’s no smart spamming system available which could tap into human emotions and filter the good from the evil. It’s a sign of the long road that the research and development community have to cover to ensure a solution to this long standing menace.
There is a definite purpose behind each spam and each spammer is defiant in his approach. It’s an act of mischief in a bid to challenge the hubris that would eventually efface your modesty and self-belief until you succumb to your own downfall. On several occasions I have witnessed my friends who got sold on an attractive subject line and clicked on their own sorrow only to find their livelihoods being wiped out completely. The “Spam” button should be used freely to lock up those with bad intent and help protect the democracy of the medium. I ensure that I do not open a mail that appears to be from a concerned person but is in reality a wolf posing in a lion’s hide. Look around and you might find a few in your inbox as well. You know what to do now.
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