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- When
- May 3, 1978
- Sent by
- Gary Thuerk, Digital Equipment Corp.
- Network
- ARPANET
- Recipients
- About 400 users
One message to everyone
On May 3, 1978, Gary Thuerk, a marketer at Digital Equipment Corporation, wanted West Coast ARPANET users to know about demos of DEC’s new computers. Instead of sending one message at a time, he sent a single email to about 400 people on the network.
The reaction came fast. Network officials complained that the government-funded ARPANET wasn’t meant for advertising, and recipients weren’t happy either. Decades later the word “spam” was attached to messages like it, and Thuerk became known as the father of spam.
Unsolicited ads were crossing a line from day one. The fix for businesses today isn’t to stop emailing. It’s to email people who asked to hear from you.
Email customers without being spam
- Only email people who opted in. Customers, newsletter sign-ups, and people who asked for a quote. Never buy a list.
- Send from your own domain. Mail from yourname@yourbusiness.com, with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC set up, is far more likely to land in the inbox.
- Make leaving easy. A clear unsubscribe link is required by law for marketing email, and it keeps your sender reputation healthy.
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