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ICQ Starts Blocking Alternative Clients

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the well-that's-not-how-friends-play-nice dept.

An anonymous reader writes "It appears that since yesterday ICQ has blocked access to the ICQ network to alternative clients. Users of QIP, Adium, and other clients are getting a 'The client version you are using is too old. Please upgrade'. No comment yet from ICQ or AOL."

19 of 347 comments (clear)

  1. ICQ is still around? Wow by multipartmixed · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That said, the forum thread is interesting. Looks like the ICQ admins are censoring posts.

    --

    Do daemons dream of electric sleep()?
    1. Re:ICQ is still around? Wow by distr0 · · Score: 5, Funny

      not for long, they just lost 12 of their 14 users!

    2. Re:ICQ is still around? Wow by Ilgaz · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Once upon a time ICQ was de-facto standard in Turkey. You know what they did? (AOL shareholders, listen)
      They banned the TURKISH CABLE IP BLOCK, the _country_ from reaching their servers. They actually banned Cable ISP monopoly but it was like banning all active, high profile users.
      People looked to alternatives, tried proxies (yes,pathetic but needed) and they stared at something which is already installed to their system. Windows (MSN) Messenger. The outcome will amaze you. Microsoft execs are at absolute shock because Turkish MSN _active_ users exceeds 25 million. That is 1/4 of country using a single service.
      Hope the idiots banning a country because of couple lamers read this message. Yes, MSN has 25 million users... Thanks to you!

    3. Re:ICQ is still around? Wow by multipartmixed · · Score: 5, Informative

      Is that Turk-Telecom that got banned?

      Because, I gotta say, wow, that netblock generates a LOT of spam. Seriously. Like 25% of my spam comes from there.

      --

      Do daemons dream of electric sleep()?
  2. Re:IC what? by urbanriot · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yes, ICQ is still big in China (Oicq) and Russia. Consider that the IM to first and fully support a character set will probably get the widest use, not to mention Oicq was fully integrated into cell phones long ago.

  3. AOL by clang_jangle · · Score: 5, Funny

    The one thing AOL has always excelled at is cutting off its nose to spite its face. Though I am rather grateful for all those nice, metal disc boxes which I spray-painted in solid colors (for more worthy discs). They really look great.

    --
    Caveat Utilitor
  4. Wrong title! by Tester · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually, they're forcing windows users to upgrade.. It has nothing to do with blocking alternative clients.

    In other news, GnomeICU still works and pidgin has just made a new release with sends a newer version number.

  5. Adium is already updated by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    And working just fine at this very moment.

  6. Adium already fixed by Per+Wigren · · Score: 5, Informative

    I got the "your client is too old" message today, did a manual "check for updates" and found that a new version of Adium (1.2.6) was released and after upgrading ICQ works again.

    --
    My other account has a 3-digit UID.
  7. Re:IC what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Seriously. The last time I used ICQ, I remember my geeky friend named Devin inviting me over to his house. We were talking about the hot new character on the current Star Trek show named Seven of Nine.

    So, for what it's worth, if ICQ reminds me of Jeri Ryan... it can't be that bad, right?

  8. Re:IC what? by sakdoctor · · Score: 5, Informative

    QQ dominates the IM market in China.
    OICQ was a rip-off of ICQ but was never compatible or even the same network as ICQ.

  9. Re:IC what? by yincrash · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is also a nonstory. The fix is just incrementing the version number on what is reported to OSCAR.

  10. Re:Miranda still working. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The summary is wrong. They don't block alternative clients but an old version of the protocol. Alternative clients that emulate the current version are fine.

  11. Re:IC what? by mrsteveman1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I beat all of you, my ICQ consists entirely of the batman symbol and the symbol for the artist formerly known as prince, alternating.

  12. Re:IC what? by D+Ninja · · Score: 5, Funny

    QQ dominates the IM market in China.

    Funny. QQ also dominates many of the Blizzard WoW forums as well.

  13. In Russia, instant messenging == ICQ by tetromino · · Score: 5, Informative

    In Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union, ICQ is basically the only instant messenging protocol. (A few tech-savvy Russians have started switching to Jabber, but even they still maintain ICQ accounts to talk to their less technically inclined friends.) Not having an ICQ number in Russia is sort of like not having an email address in the US; people will look at you funny.

  14. Re:IC what? by azzuth · · Score: 5, Funny

    In soviet russia Q seeks U.

  15. Re:IC what? by CelticWhisper · · Score: 5, Funny

    Absorbed?

    Assimilated. Sweet Jesus, man...I'm not even a Trekkie and I know that.

    The gentlemen at the door will be taking your geek card. Open enrollment is in 2 months, you may reapply then.

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  16. Re:IC what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    So when the invasion happens, we Americans will have to start using ICQ again? Noooooooooooooo!

    "Uh oh!"