TIL in May 1864 the first record of electronic spam was sent by a dentist in London

600 points · 40 comments · view on lemmy.world

40 Comments

BananaTrifleViolin@kbin.social · 85 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Or was this the first example of gurilla paid advertisement in the comments section? "How do I advertise my dental practice? I know I'll pretend I was disturbed by a telegram and they shall print my complaint! And it shall goeth viraleth"

Steve@startrek.website · 10 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Almost certainly.

variants@possumpat.io · 13 pts · 2y

indubitably

lettruthout@lemmy.world · 77 pts · 2y (4 replies)

Was expecting something like: "We've been trying to reach you about your horse and buggy warranty."

drolex@sopuli.xyz · 42 pts · 2y (2 replies)

In June 1864, everyone in London was receiving telegrams about grieving widows looking for company in the neighbourhood.

unconsciousvoidling@sh.itjust.works · 22 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Hot widows in your area are bored with using candlesticks and require a gentleman.

grysbok@lemmy.sdf.org · 10 pts · 2y

Hot rich widows in the countryside await your acquaintance. "Triflers need not apply."

BreadstickNinja@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y

Those vehicle warranty ads are so insidious. The ones I get use packaging that's typically reserved for official government mailers and sometimes include the name of a govt agency that has nothing to do with them.

Whenever I throw one out I imagine how many elderly people must be mistaking them for govt business and getting fleeced out of their money.

Rooty@lemmy.world · 55 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Mr. Gabriel sure got his money's worth from his telegram, since we're still circulating it 159 years later.

xantoxis@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Yeah i went down there today, but they weren't in professional attendance (presumably because it is now October)

elbarto777@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 2y
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burningmatches@feddit.uk · 39 pts · 2y (5 replies)

27 Harley Street is now an ear, nose and throat specialist with a reputation for treating people who can’t burp.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Nyc9bEz6Q9Y3FPx48?g_st=ic

samus12345@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Probably still disturbing people using the intolerable nuisance known as "telegrams."

echodot@feddit.uk · 4 pts · 2y

I don't even have telegram installed.

echodot@feddit.uk · 4 pts · 2y (1 reply)

So they've gone out of business. It looks like the advertising campaign didn't work then

Dagwood222@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y

Sounds like something out of r/writing prompts.

A wizard makes a deal to live forever. The cost he must pay is 100 healthy human teeth every year...

Sylvartas@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

I would love to be able to burp, but a Botox injection in the neck/throat ? Nah I think I'll pass

AstralWeekends@lemm.ee · 35 pts · 2y

Unsubscribe me at once, you scoundrels!

Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 2y

Imagine how much better the world could have been if the editor of The Times had taken the time to have a quick word with a dentist in 1864!

ubermeisters@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 2y (14 replies)
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casmael@lemm.ee · 36 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Merely colloquial and of the time your grace

AntifaNI@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Spam by telegram and get free ad in national newspaper ?

Rhaedas@kbin.social · 5 pts · 2y

Sign of a professional.

prayer@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2y

Literally just how people ended letters in 1864. It's like seeing someone say "bless you" to a sneeze and scoffing at it.

Microw@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y (9 replies)

Ah, someone hasn't seen Hamilton?

ubermeisters@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 2y (8 replies)
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seitanic@lemmy.sdf.org · 4 pts · 2y (7 replies)

Hamilton isn't a movie.

ubermeisters@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 2y (6 replies)
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Kusimulkku@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y (5 replies)

I like how every single reply of yours so far makes you seem like a bigger tool. It's aspirational.

ubermeisters@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y (4 replies)
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Kusimulkku@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y

What you think of me is for you to think

Big if true

echodot@feddit.uk · 0 pts · 2y

I also think you're a tool if it helps. Or indeed if it does not.

I hope it doesn't, this is fun.

magnetosphere@kbin.social · 14 pts · 2y (1 reply)

If I remember correctly, weren’t telegrams fairly expensive back in the day? Did the dentist get some kind of “bulk discount”?

variants@possumpat.io · 12 pts · 2y

how old are you?

SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 2y (3 replies)

Wow, there are actually still medical offices there.

SomeoneElse@lemmy.ca · 14 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Harley street is the most famous place in the country for (private) medical practices. Today there’s thousand of people employed in one type of medical job or another there.

SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Neat.

echodot@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 2y

Notice seems to be where all the cryopreservatory places are. Because if you're going to be stolen liquid nitrogen after death I suppose you should do it somewhere ritzy.

casmael@lemm.ee · 8 pts · 2y (5 replies)

Bring back telegrams tbh

ininewcrow@lemmy.ca · 10 pts · 2y

Good day sir .... here is your daily wheel barrow load of telegrams.

I believe I saw a message from your mother in there.

Til the morrow with my next wheel barrow.

EmoDuck@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 2y (1 reply)

They're still around in most of the world. If you wanna spend 20 bucks on a telegram that could have easily been a free email, go for it

elbarto777@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
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Hubi@feddit.de · 2 pts · 2y

The German Post just discontinued their service two years ago :(

samus12345@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
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Spaghetti_Hitchens@kbin.social · 8 pts · 2y

Forget going back in time to kill baby Hitler... Let's get the dentist instead.

pete_the_cat@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y (1 reply)

It wasn't electronic since he clearly says "placed into my hands".

elbarto777@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 2y
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