It seems as though the Internet walls are covered in spam. No, not the food, rather the endless links that one poses on another, but what is spam?

What Is Spam?

These days spam seems to be everywhere, or what it is that we use to call spam, the question is, in today’s Social Media world, can we still call spam, spam? The original definition of the word according to Wikipedia is:

“E-mail spam, also known as junk e-mail, is a subset of spam that involves nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by e-mail. A common synonym for spam is unsolicited bulk e-mail (UBE). Definitions of spam usually include the aspects that email is unsolicited and sent in bulk.”

In other words, repetitive e-mail soliciting someone(s), sometimes in a bulk format to become a part of something, whether it be to join a cause, club, or to simply read what it is they are perhaps trying to sell.

Why are we over doing it?

With today’s rise of Social Networking sites and the easy ability to communicate something to another in real-time, is it still fair to call links, spam? Many people use that term as if it is going out of style, but being apart of Social Media, one must be aware that times are a changing. Twitter for example, has begun a shift of “What are you doing?” to “What’s Happening?” instead of micro-blogging about your day, you are instead sharing what you find is interesting, which most likely is in a form of links.

So why are we over doing it with the spam term? In order for people to know who you are, what you’re about and what it is you like, links are a necessity. If it is not shared, you will simply go unnoticed. Agreed, that repetitive linking too close together is still classified under the original definition, but even those who will disagree with this article has and will continue to mass e-mail to mass parties and share the same link more than once.

Sharing links is not Spamming

We don’t have the time to sit down and type out individual e-mails for everything we want to share, if that was the case, pen and paper would make a comeback. Besides, what would be the point, if you are trying to share the same message? Yes, people will over do it; I have admittedly done it and apologize in advance for when I do it again.

The question is can we get past using the word spam out of context and perhaps realize that the person you think is annoying you, could be just trying to brand themselves, their company or to simply be heard?

We can’t fault them for doing what it is we have done. In Social Media it is important to make sure you get seen, whether it’s a twitpic, a bit.ly or a straight out link, if you don’t share, you get tossed in amongst the shuffle. Do you think the term “spam” needs an update? The point is, the way we communicate today has changed immensely from the days of e-mail or IM’ing, just take a look at Facebook and Twitter or any other Social site that you are on. Is the word spamming being over used or are we simply just sharing?

Erin Ryan is a Social Media Devotee, who is very active on various Social Networking sites. By day, Erin is a freelance image designer for various online stores and is currently a Social Media intern. You can contact her via Twitter http://twitter.com/4u2wear2

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