I do believe that we have glorified spamming by associating it with bulk mail via USPS. The bases and origins are not so well related. Rather we should place it more in another category where it fits. To do so, I have simplified things by "bring it home". That is to your own home town.
Sam's dog has puppies. When it came time to wean the puppies he decided to go down to the local My Town Groceries and post his offer for free puppies to the bulletin board. When he arrived, he noted that there was a vast array of offers from the local towns people, and several of the surrounding communities. Scanning over a few to see if there was any of interest he then went on his way.
After Sam left several "head hunters" a couple of scalpers, came by taking a list of all the names and addresses of the people that had posted to the bulletin board. These they peddled to others who had cats and dogs of their own they wished to get rid of.
Meanwhile, a few more pet owners came by, without even looking to see what the offers were, gathered the names and addresses of everyone that had posted to the bulletin board.
There was a vast array of different means that was used to collect these names and address, some wrote them on a piece of paper, others had very sophisticated scanning equipment, that would quickly added these names and address to a data base.
Meanwhile, Sam when home feeling good, hoping the right person would come alone and adopt his puppies to wait.
The next morning he woke, dressed, and went to work, assured that person who was looking a a nice puppy would come along and notice his ad. Little did he know, there was a vast more who had puppies and kitten, as well as parakeets to be give away or sell. This was only the beginning of his horrors.
Upon returning home from work he was greeted with the side of his house plastered with bits of paper, offering these pets the others had. Some even offered their service to tack his puppy offer to the homes of others. Another offered to sell him the sophisticated electronic, state of the art scanning equipment so he could gather the address from the bulletin board at My Town Groceries, and post his offer to their homes as well. Others even offered to help him locate other bulletin boards where names could be gathered...
Sam has just learned the true meaning of Spamming.
This he continued to do, as he spent days on into months trying to get his name removed for the list of these pet spammers. And when he though it was about to end, he discovered some one has sold their list to another, and his was never really removed. This was saved to be sold... and the ever ending circle started all over again.
A year later, Sam realized there was only one thing he could do. So he packed up his wife and children, and move to another address, in total fear that someday, somewhere, someone would find out his newly acquired address, and the whole cycle would start all over again.
Cordially,