SPAM

[Steven D. Majewski]

On 16 Mar 2000, Martijn Faassen wrote:

> Michal Bozon <bozon at natur.cuni.cz> wrote:
> > __hi__
> 
> > What is it "spam" ?
> 
> Besides the other answers, the Python conferences are also sometimes referred
> to as SPAM (i.e. SPAM7). I'm not sure why. :)
> 

Possibly because I had:

	N    I    S    T
	nov  1 - 3  1994
	gaithersburg, md.
	S    P    A    M

printed on the back of the T-shirts sold at the first workshop.
( "Guido van Rossum's Python World Tour" was on the front. )

The four letters of SPAM, in large type made a nice symmetry
with the NIST ( National Institute of STandards and Technology,
where it was held. ) We agreed on the cover story that if anyone
(especially from Hormel or MPFC ) asked, it was a FLA -- Four 
Letter Acronym. Several candidate phrases that spelled out
SPAM were suggested, but I don't think there was an agreed
official translation. Despite that, when folks started planning
a second workshop, it was referred to as SPAM-2. 

---|  Steven D. Majewski   (804-982-0831)  <sdm7g at Virginia.EDU>  |---
---|  Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics  |---
---|  University of Virginia             Health Sciences Center  |---
---|  P.O. Box 10011            Charlottesville, VA  22906-0011  |---

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