The term spam can mean Sending and Posting Advertisement in Mass, or "sending and posting mass advertising," or also: Stupid Pointless Annoying Messages, which means ridiculous, pointless, and irritating messages. However, there are several versions regarding the origin of the word spam.

The most widely accepted version, endorsed by RFC 2635, states that the term originated from the brand name SPAM, a type of canned pork from Hormel Foods Corporation, and was associated with sending unsolicited messages due to a sketch by the British comedy group Monty Python.

In its most popular form, spam consists of an email message for advertising purposes. The term spam, however, can be applied to messages sent through other means and in other, even modest, situations.

Spam messages are usually appealing and, more often than not, annoying and inconvenient.