Me: Why do you find spam so interesting?
Finn Brunton: Spam is like a barium injection you get in the hospital. You take it, and it lets you see the outline and the contours of the internet.
Finn Brunton is a research fellow at NYU who wrote his dissertation on the history of spam. It’s called Spam in Action: Social Technology and the History of Unintended Consequences, and he’s currently in the process of turning it into a book. This afternoon, Nora talked to Finn about spam, and what it can teach us about innovation. A shorter version of this interview will air on Spark 95, but you can hear the full, uncut interview below, or download the MP3. [runs 26:38]
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[hat tip to Gabriella Coleman]
[original image by cookipediachef]
December 9th, 2009 at 2:43 am
wow — great stuff — thanks for this interview! very enlightening and engaging.