Given the current world birth rate times 4% there are approximately 7 suckers born every minute. I suspect P.T. Barnum was not being sarcastic but drew his conclusion from direct observation and a little math, and developed a business plan around it.

I wonder if they're counting unsolicited e-mail from places where we've shopped before as spam? I'll get notices from time to time that the Gap or Amazon or west elm is having a sale or a product that their data miner thinks I might like. I'll go sometimes ahead and buy whatever it is that they're selling.

I tend to agree that they are counting data miner E-mail as spam, however, I found it interesting that 4% actually bought a product via such E-mail. My understanding is that about 20% of all spam is actually read, so 4% of that is still enough of a percentage (4*.2 = 0.8) for spammers to persue.

Personally, if I don't know you, I delete your E-mail.

I'd expect that birth rate to increase as the effects of the herbal viagra are seen. Fortunately housing should be plentiful and cheap with all those low interest mortgate rates available.

I found it interesting that 4% actually bought a product via such E-mail. My understanding is that about 20% of all spam is actually read, so 4% of that is still enough of a percentage (4*.2 = 0.8) for spammers to persue.

No, it's not 4% of all spams that are read that result in a sale; it's 4% of all people who have email who recall having responded to spam at some time. You're trying to combine apples and oranges.

I suspect the response rate is way less than 0.8%. But as long as spam is so cheap to send, the response rate can be pretty dismal and spam is nevertheless profitable.