The Snowflake Chronicles

Spam Subject Line and Old Jokes

4 Jalal 164 B.E. – Thursday, April 12, 2007

I was going through my junk mail folder and say this subject line: Looking for sex? it reminded me of a joke I heard several years ago. The old joke goes. A man had a dog names Sex. Sex got lost in the city, so the man went into the streets in the middle of the night calling for the dog. He yelled the dogs name in every street, avenue and alley. A beat officer stopped him and asked him what he was doing that late at night. His reply: “I’m looking for Sex.” You can guess what happened. If told properly this joke is quite funny.

I’m not sure how effective spam subject lines using the titles of old jokes are. They don’t make me laugh and the first time I heard the Looking for sex joke I did find it amusing. I don’t think I laughed out loud, but I did smile.

I go through my junk mail folder to find important e-mails or newsletters that get in their accidentally. I wonder if the reason wanted e-mails get into the junk mail folder is to guarantee that people read their junk mail instead of just using a mass delete. Interesting thought boarding on a conspiracy theory.