• by Seana Mulcahy , December 8, 2003

In the midst of the holiday frenzy, I've finished my shopping on and offline. I've also been frenetically trying to close out the books for this year while jump-starting the next. To top it all off, I got some nasty cold/virus that's going around.

Needless to say, I spent a lot of time at home for the past week. I couldn't escape the bad ads on television. Seems like it was all, "Have you been in an accident or the victim of medical malpractice... then call Attorney Blah blah blah." And of course there was the, "Can't get your bills off your mind... or make ends meet... call us we can help." I urge you to channel surf for a moment. You'll most likely see these along with refinance your house now, one day only sales, the hurry-up-and-get-your-Christmas-presents ads, weight loss programs, and the good ole cold, cough and flu medicine.

Does this sound familiar? The copy and content isn't all that different from our inboxes today. Whether you have inbox filters on or not, it somehow slips through. You know the subject lines: Paris Hilton Sex Tapes, Enlarge your..., Win Money, The Incredible Weight Loss Pill, Pamela Anderson, and Viagra.

I'll also assume you've read a ton of message boards, articles and the like on the war on spam. I've certainly written a bunch of them. Assuming this is true; I'll spare you my words on the topic and tell you about something funny that I stumbled upon. Have you heard about slam spamming?

Similar to its roots of blogs (or Weblogs: personal online diaries), slam spam is a way bloggers are having some fun with spam. Just like poetry slams; bloggers are crafting hip satirical words with a funky beat online.

Here's how it works. Take a look at your inbox and try and word scramble the subject lines of spam email. Or take a bunch of spam subject lines then write a poem. How about this:

Yur big onez
Got one
Powerful degree
Buy one and see
You and us make three

Miles away
Debt to pay
Anderson wants to say
Drop your weight and
Get a date

Want to hear more from bloggers? Check these out by Kristin Thomas. I'll share with you one of my favorites.

Quality ink up to 80% off.
Answers Now on the Distortion of Evidence;
Clean your colon.
Improve sense of well being.

Uncover what others don't want you to know -
Check it out, man -
Success, guaranteed!

What is an MBA really worth?
Ask yourself - could your penis be bigger?
For Target guests,
Its safe, now.

This shows how blogging has grown from underground trend to mainstream phenomenon. It encompasses community, content, a viral feel, satire, cynicism, and a whole lot more. So try out a slam spam and post it on the Spin Board.