WhyIsSpamSoStereotypical

It's very puzzling right?

Spam is hard to filter electronically ... but when you think about it,

the surprise is that it's not really very hard.

To a human, spam is instantly recognisable. It often contains not

just obvious key phrases, but predictable bad writing, grammar,

spelling mistakes. Or obvious cookie cutter letters from Nigerian ex

presidents.

Why? Why isn't spam trying harder to ingratiate itself with us?

Why doesn't it try to camouflage itself as something more interesting or important?

Is it because ...

• spammers are drawn from a uniquely illiterate and stupid section of society?

• the few people who ARE likely to respond to spam are part of a uniquely illiterate and stupid section of society and this speaks to them?

• there is some advantage, in some kind of evolutionary signalling sense, to spam being recognisable?

See also SellingScrewsThingsUp, BadWebDesign