who does that?

here's a question for you: who are the spammers, anyway?

we spend innumerable hours installing software, flagging messages as spam so our service providers and heuristics software can identify future spam messages; spend countless dollars hiring IT people to secure our computer systems, install anti-spam and anti-spyware programs. we complain about spam, and spammers, when we talk to our friends and co-workers. we devote so much energy to avoiding these internet harpies. but who are they?

do you know any spammers? i don't.
they don't wear nametags. they don't introduce themselves at parties... can you imagine?

"nice to meet you sam. so, what do you do for a living?"
"well, i'm a spammer."
"oh."

how do they respond to that question? "i propogate electronic advertisements and collect contact information from potential customers."

do they dare show their faces in public? or do they sit at their computers all day long, cackling and mouse-clicking maniacally, "send, send, send!!! cialis for everyone! muahahahaha!!"

really. i want to know. who just wakes up one day and decides to be a spammer? i'm intrigued by the personality that would choose annoying millions of unsuspecting emailers as a pastime. personally, i like to think that my work and hobbies are appreciated by others. or, at least, not driving others insane.