The inventor of e-mail didn't foresee spam:
At that time, the number of people who used e-mail was very small - maybe between 500 to 1,000. So if you were getting spam, you'd know who was sending it. You'd be able to say to them: that's not a good thing to do.
(Hat tip: Welsh View)
This article available online at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2008/03/the-poignancy-of-memory/218914/
