If you are like most Americans, you probably have a spam filter to sort your email. Whenever my Gmail spam folder reaches 100, I delete whatever is in the folder. Having recently noticed that I've had to delete my spam mail folder every other day, I began to wonder what I was really receiving. Here is the breakdown by top three categories:
1. Porn
2. Credit Card Help
3. Product Advertising – usually associated with Porn
Since Porn makes up over 70% of my spam mail, I had a few questions. First of all did the senders of this Spam mail have no inferential skill and think that lillysparrow@gmail.com was a man and as such looking for women? Or did they think I was a lesbian? Worse is that they assumed I was just lonely and somehow needed their help to find a partner, even if only for one night. Also, why these Spam Mailers would think I needed to "Increase My Manhood" in 3 easy, albeit painful, steps was necessary had to most certainly be related to the fact that they assume that lillysparrow is a man.
The point of all of this is that if senders of Spam mail really want to trap innocent people into subscribing, buying, using, whatever it is they are peddling, wouldn't a more targeted campaign work better?
At first glance, I would think finding a target audience as opposed to mass marketing would be a better approach, but having realized how very easy and cheap it is to send mass emails to whomever I understand the SPAM mailers approach. After all, they are bound to hit upon a few idiots to click on their links or subscribe to their magazine or order their product. And their subject lines are compelling. I mean who wouldn't want a HUGE HOOD, a LIFETIME of car wax, or a ORAL ARRAY of PLEASURE (I'm sure this one is for toothpaste.)
After all, everyone needs something. And LOVE is at the top of that list. Even the most narcissistic, love-torn, burned, battered, and dejected love victims secretly hope to find and have love again. And unfortunately, most people associate love with pleasure. And although not without it's merits, any one who has been married a long time will tell you that the physical pleasure may fade, but it's the passion and love for one another that remains. If I know this, how come everyone out there who is responding to these Spam messages does not?
I realize that it is not that they don't know this, but that they don't care. We live in an instant gratification society. We want it now and we don't want to work hard to get it or keep it. We are all children. We see a toy we want and we hope and pray and fawn until we get it and once we have it, we toss it aside and it is forgotten for we have been sated. The need is not for the thing, the need is for the feeling of desire that is associated with longing and wanting. And once the lust is slaked, we want something new. We want to keep having that feeling over and over again for as long as we can. And instead of working at creating that in our own lives, we look outside ourselves for the cure and answer. And our SPAM mail will be waiting there for us and will welcome us in with open arms. It will promise us everything we long for...but for a price.
The question is do you want to pay that price?
