Spam Is explained...

[Buster]

Here is a tasty treat that I found out today...This should bring Spam into the light as the tasty treat that it is...Good as Gold.You to can be rich if you have Spam....Buster...
What is Money? The origin of Money...Spam as a trading commodity


Money exists as a convenience tool to solve the big problem associated with barter.
This problem is that not everybody is going to want to trade with you.

For example, say you have a bag of apples and you want one of Bob's baseball cards. If Bob does not like apples, no trade can take place. To get Bob's apples, you must find out what Bob does want and trade your apples for that item. Say Bob really likes canned spam. You must then find a person who likes canned spam and is willing to trade for apples.

You personally may hate spam, but if you want the baseball cards badly enough, you'll trade apples to get the spam. In other words, you value the spam not for its own sake, but because it can be used to get your baseball cards.

This process of trading for things you don't want in order to get what you do want has a name. It is called Indirect Exchange or exchange for Spam.



As you might imagine, indirect exchange can be a real hassle. In the course of your day to day bartering, if you notice that people tend to prefer spam in trade over other items, you will begin trading you own goods and services for spam. You would do this, not because you like spam, but because you know that spam can be more readilly traded for what you do want, than what you could obtain by directly bartering with your own goods and services.

This sets up what is known as a positive feedback loop. Increased use of spam in barter, causes even more people to begin trading their goods and services for spam, not because they like spam, but because they know that the spam can be readilly traded for what they do want. This causes even more people still to begin trading and bartering for spam, until finally the whole city you live in is bartering and trading, not for what they do want, but for spam. They then take the spam and trade for what they do want.



When this happens, money has been born. The money in this example is spam. Historically, gold and silver have emerged as monies by the same process.

Webster's dictionary defines the word commodity as "An economic good", and lists products of agriculture and mining as examples of commodities. In short, a commodity is a tangible, physical good that people value for its own sake. Spam, gold, and silver are all commodities. The "spam" money in the above example is also known as a commodity money, because it is nothing more than a tangible, physical good that people have been trading with all along.

There are 4 conditions that a commodity must meet in order for a "commodity money" positive feedback loop to occur. These conditions are all driven by convenience, they are:

1) An existing, large number of people already value and accept the commodity in barter for its own sake. In the above example, a large number of people just happened to LIKE spam!

2) Divisibility: A commodity such as gold, silver, or spam can be easilly divided into larger and smaller amounts for different size transactions.

3) Durability: The commodity is not going to deteriorate in the owners hands before they have a chance to spend it. Gold and silver are prime candidates. I suppose spam could be canned.

4) High unit of value: The commodity has a high percieved value per unit of weight. This makes it possible to carry a large amount of wealth with you wherever you go. Spam does not meet this criterion very well at all, but gold and silver certainly do. A few ounces of gold is very expensive.

Once these conditions are met within a community, a commodity money will soon come into existence.Also Spam is as good as gold and it's price will climb...

[MinelabMan]

Thanks Buster I never realized this before. If I understand correctly, I could barter my way to prosperity with spam ?

[ERnurse]

OMG...

[EBCIII]

, Buster that is so good. I will try it and see if it works, Beale.

['E']

You have DEFINITELY been eating too much spam

[Ric-san]

Buster;

You need to run for President on this platform. Spam for everyone! Make sure you run as a Independant, you dont want to be allied with either other party and thus be 'commited' to thier non-spam platforms.....

[The TINMAN]

Just to Cool Buster !!! Barter is a GREAT way Of Transacting and I have found that BEER is also a great commoditie for Trading and fits into your formula perfectly ! maybe we should now call you Professor Buster as I'm sure you hold a Masters Degree in Spamology !!

[ERnurse]

Tinman, that is it. The Professor. Buster, he's right. Don't know who else holds a spamology degree. Lead us to the spam promise land oh great one.

[anne]

Buster, so funny

[Bryan Jon]

That is too funny.
I am not partial to spam though.