I took a look at what was in my spam folder today. What I observed was a concentrated visual of data dissemination at its best, toying with our hopes, aspirations and emotional weaknesses - i.e. "feeling depressed?" "Someone wants you", "Your cheque is in the mail", "work less, earn more", etc.
Though these annoying and often virus-carrying email blasts are a large result of automated data aggregation, you know that there was some human behind that programming. The human that wrote that subject line that might elicit an emotional response, and a curiosity/ hope that makes some girl/guy click on the email "You have won! Collect $500". But this is not monopoly. And we all know you can't really collect.
Regardless, it is oddly comforting to me that a human is still behind these "dick enhancement"-class emails. Play on to our weaknesses, dear programmer. Only when these subject lines are coded by an automaton, will I begin to worry.
