Yesterday I received a call from my very exasperated father who recently has been helping my Korean mother learn how to use the web and web-based email.

  1. Dad

    Talk to your mother!

  2. Me

    Umm.. Ok. About what?

  3. Dad

    She got a nasty email and now she’s furious that I sent it to her. I tried to explain the concept of SPAM to her, but she doesn’t believe me. Maybe she’ll believe you.

  4. Me (groaning)

    Okay! Put her on.

My poor mother didn’t understand how anyone could get her email address and send her such filth, so therefore via deduction, it had to be my dad. She was shocked and appalled that he would send this to her.

I calmly explain to her how companies just love to sell your data to other less scrupulous companies who then send out emails to EVERYBODY. I get it, she gets it, dad gets it. Everyone gets it. I think she understands now, but I wonder if she’ll continue to bother with email now.