Ask HN: Why is spam email still a thing?

It's probably something like less than 1 in 10,000 emails getting a click, which is depressing when you consider all the computing resources wasted by receiving email servers and then by all the recipients which need to filter out the noise (for example I still at least scan subject lines of items in my Gmail Spam folder).

So with that considered, spammers clearly completely lack empathy for their fellow human beings, they have zero care on the cost of their practice, as long as it makes them a few bucks. Sure, there are people who do far worse things, but that fact in no way redeems spammers.

I'll start by saying I in no way excuse like or can stand spammers, I think action should be taken against them as they've destroyed every communication medium in existence.

But I have some friends that come from some third world countries in Africa and similar places. From their perspective the few bucks to us makes them some of the richest and well to do people where they are at, and all they are doing is taking it from fat rich wealthy Americans and Europeans that already have too much money, even if the person is close to destitute by our standers from the perspective of many people in the third world if they have a roof over their head and know where their next meal is coming from, to mention nothing of ac and a car they are living an unimaginable lifestyle.

My point isn't to defend scammers it's just to point out that many of them arent malicious simply trying to survive in a difficult world, I would argue many of us here on Hm would do the same if faced with the choice after all how many people here already go to work on ad or surveillance tech of dubious ethical vlaue because the pay is insane.