First reaction to reports of the first commercial "spam" email, sent by DEC salesman, Gary Thuerk (8 May 1978), as quoted in "Reaction to the DEC Spam of 1978" http://www.templetons.com/brad/spamreact.html#msg<!-- also only partially quoted in "Damn Spam", by Michael Specter, in The New Yorker (6 August 2007) http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/08/06/damn-spam --> <br class="br">1970s <br class="br">Context: I didn't receive the DEC message, but I can't imagine I would have been bothered if I have. I get tons of uninteresting mail, and system announcements about babies born, etc. At least a demo MIGHT have been interesting. … The amount of harm done by any of the cited "unfair" things the net has been used for is clearly very small. And if they have found any people any jobs, clearly they have done good. If I had a job to offer, I would offer it to my friends first. Is this "evil"? … Would a dating service for people on the net be "frowned upon" by DCA? I hope not. But even if it is, don't let that stop you from notifying me via net mail if you start one.
Umberto Eco (1932–2016) Italian semiotician, essayist, philosopher, literary critic, and novelist
As quoted in "Of Eco And E-mail" by Anthony Haden-Guest, in The New Yorker (26 June 1995) http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1995/06/26/of-eco-and-e-mail
Richard Stallman (1953) American software freedom activist, short story writer and computer programmer, founder of the GNU project
Reaction to the first spam, after receiving a copy of it (9 May 1978) as quoted in "Reaction to the DEC Spam of 1978"
1970s
Context: Well, Geoff forwarded me a copy of the DEC message, and I eat my words. I sure would have minded it! Nobody should be allowed to send a message with a header that long, no matter what it is about.
Bill Gates (1955) American business magnate and philanthropist
"Why I Hate Spam" in Microsoft PressPass (2003) http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ofnote/06-23wsjspam.asp <br class="br">2000s
Roberto Clemente (1934–1972) Puerto Rican baseball player
As quoted in "Clemente Will Seek Raise in Pay Next Year" https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eHQlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zfIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1095%2C1859848 by Lou Prato, in The Gettysburg Times (Tuesday, October 3, 1961), p. 5 <br class="br">Baseball-related, <big><big>1960s</big></big>, <big>1961</big>
Shawn Mendes (1998) Canadian singer-songwriter and model
On the rumours about his sexuality. <br class="br"> Shawn Mendes: ‘I’m 20. I want to have fun’, The Guardian, April 07, 2019 https://www.theguardian.com/global/2019/apr/07/shawn-mendes-im-20-i-want-to-have-fun-interview-social-media,
Margaret Cho (1968) American stand-up comedian
From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, RACISM AND CIVIL RIGHTS
“Whenever I'm sad I just imagine if babies were born with moustaches.”
Liam Payne (1993) English singer and songwriter
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/6422617.Liam_Payne
George Müller (1805–1898) German-English clergyman
A Narrative of Some of the Lord's Dealings with George Müller Written by Himself, Fourth Part.
Fourth Part of Narrative
Groucho Marx (1890–1977) American comedian
From his autobiography Groucho and Me (1959)
Variant: Although it is generally known, I think it's about time to announce that I was born at a very early age.
