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PSA: AIM Will Be Discontinued Tomorrow (fortune.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the end-of-an-era dept.

Cutting_Crew writes: Along with Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger and ICQ, I used AIM extensively (without an AOL subscription of course). AIM will finally come to a halt on December 15th, 2017, as reported a few months ago and explained in AOL fashion over on their website. I remember using AIM to keep in touch with friends, co-workers and yes, even tried dating back in the day using the "looking for love" feature not only available to AOL subscribers but also extended to AIM users as well. Any memories you want to share? Speak now, or forever hold your peace.

49 of 105 comments (clear)

  1. Regretting that "lifetime" license... by Albert71292 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...that I bought for Trillian several years ago. After AIM shuts down, I'll only be using Trillian for ICQ and Facebook Messenger.

    --
    "A Bird In The Hand Will Poop On Your Wrist"-Benny Hill,1982
    1. Re:Regretting that "lifetime" license... by Cutting_Crew · · Score: 2

      Yeah - ever since msn and yahoo cut off the protocols that Trillian used (and other 3rd party chat clients), theres not much left(except ICQ). I have Adium running on my mac and i am still signed into AIM, so not sure if someone forgot or someone ended up calling in sick.

    2. Re:Regretting that "lifetime" license... by lucasnate1 · · Score: 1

      Trillian still supports facebook messenger?

      --
      Avantgarde Hebrew science fiction
    3. Re:Regretting that "lifetime" license... by alexo · · Score: 3, Interesting

      May I interest you in Pidgin?

      If you end up regretting using it, you can get a full refund.

    4. Re:Regretting that "lifetime" license... by antdude · · Score: 1

      People still use ICQ? :O

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    5. Re:Regretting that "lifetime" license... by msauve · · Score: 1

      People still use the Bookface, so why not?

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    6. Re:Regretting that "lifetime" license... by antdude · · Score: 1

      Yeah. People still use FriendFace too! ;)

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    7. Re:Regretting that "lifetime" license... by blind+biker · · Score: 1

      ICQ is still kicking around?

      --
      "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
    8. Re:Regretting that "lifetime" license... by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      The ICQ network was unified with AIM years ago. I remember using my ICQ credentials with iChat to log into the AIM network and talk to AIM users back in 2005/6ish. If they're turning off AIM, why do you think they'll leave ICQ enabled?

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    9. Re:Regretting that "lifetime" license... by BacOs · · Score: 1

      AOL sold ICQ in 2010.

    10. Re:Regretting that "lifetime" license... by nonicknameavailable · · Score: 1

      Owned by Mail.Ru Group

      --
      Mendacem Memorem Esse Oportet
  2. Net Neutrality Strikes Again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    This is Trumps fault.

  3. The last reminder of web 1.0 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Along with CompuServe forums shutting down and the end of net neutrality, the web has changed for the worse.

    1. Re:The last reminder of web 1.0 by tepples · · Score: 1

      You must not have logged onto AIM in the past two weeks. The service has been sending out shutdown reminders on login.

  4. Why discontinue it? by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

    ... instead of migrating users to a different service, maybe with an AOL skin over it?

    Here's the irony -- @verizon.net email accounts were actually migrated to AOL's servers last spring.

    1. Re:Why discontinue it? by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      Why migrate a whole bunch of users to another service, when most of them don't use it?

      How many people actually use AIM?

    2. Re:Why discontinue it? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

      A lot of Mac users. AIM was the default protocol for all accounts a while back.

      Today I had to remind three friends to (finally) drop AIM and switch to iMessage.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    3. Re:Why discontinue it? by nonicknameavailable · · Score: 1

      iMessage is Apple only

      --
      Mendacem Memorem Esse Oportet
    4. Re:Why discontinue it? by mark-t · · Score: 2, Informative

      It may have escaped your attention that the above poster was talking about Apple computers in the first place, since he explicitly mentioned how it affects Mac users.

      --
      File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
    5. Re:Why discontinue it? by sexconker · · Score: 1

      Why migrate a whole bunch of users to another service, when most of them don't use it?

      How many people actually use AIM?

      I use it daily, via Trillian.

    6. Re:Why discontinue it? by tepples · · Score: 1

      iMessage is Apple only

      It may have escaped your attention that the above poster was talking about Apple computers in the first place, since he explicitly mentioned how it affects Mac users.

      It affects both Mac users who communicate only with users of Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices and Mac users who also communicate with users of Windows, GNU/Linux, or Android devices. The former can switch to iMessage; the latter cannot.

    7. Re:Why discontinue it? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Messages on the Mac supports both AIM and iMessages. With AIM gone, there's only iMessages left.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    8. Re:Why discontinue it? by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      Congratulations, active user number 12.

    9. Re:Why discontinue it? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      That's true, I didn't think of it because I only have one contact who's using it.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    10. Re:Why discontinue it? by fisted · · Score: 1

      Hasn't been a week since I last talked to someone on ICQ (from my IRC client via Bitlbee)

      --
      CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
    11. Re: Why discontinue it? by sexconker · · Score: 1

      Correct. It died for me around 12 AM EST, you fucking goon.

  5. AIM - also known as AOL Instant Molester by Indy1 · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Back in the day, AIM was infamous for being the place all the kiddie diddlers would hang out and try to snare their pray.

    AOL's constant battle to draw the bottom feeders to their network was a success in more ways then one.

    --
    Lawyers, MBA's, RIAA? A jedi fears not these things!
    1. Re:AIM - also known as AOL Instant Molester by sexconker · · Score: 1

      I don't know what Kik is, but you can't complain about "objectification" while bragging about selling yourself. And the fact is we're all objects.

    2. Re:AIM - also known as AOL Instant Molester by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Err that could be said for every popular messaging service and social network. The only ones immune to it were those without any users.

  6. A/S/L by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    A/S/L

    1. Re:A/S/L by dohzer · · Score: 1

      AIM wasn't IRC.

  7. ASL? by DatbeDank · · Score: 1

    18/F/CA

    When in reality:

    42/m/MA

  8. You spelled CIM wrong by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    CompuServe, my friend.

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  9. Tech is degrading by lucasnate1 · · Score: 1

    It is sad that older messenger programs were much more efficient and clean than newer ones. When power (both state and corporate) catches up with technology, it cuts its wings

    --
    Avantgarde Hebrew science fiction
  10. Cue Cricketts by jwhyche · · Score: 2

    Chirp... Chirp,,,

    --
    I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
  11. RIP AIM by thegreatbob · · Score: 1

    We... knew him.

    Also, this is why I should never be the one to write the eulogy.

    --
    There is no XUL, only WebExtensions...
  12. Re:This was my last link to pre-Facebook socializi by thegreatbob · · Score: 1

    As I recall, you could identify if someone was online by the ability to view their 'profile', regardless of their apparent status.

    --
    There is no XUL, only WebExtensions...
  13. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  14. Re: things you won't miss... by backslashdot · · Score: 1

    Yes I know American Sign Language, but isnâ(TM)t it easier to type in English?

  15. Good... by Pezbian · · Score: 1

    It's nice to close another chapter on Internet Training-Wheels.

    --
    In a world of the blind, the one-eyed man is king--and the two-eyed man is a heretic.
  16. ICQ by geekymachoman · · Score: 1

    I registered an account in 1998, I still have it.. and use it. Before it was main chat tool for the companies I worked for. The employees had to have an account. I still see the same people online, even though I'm not working in those companies anymore.

    Frankly, I don't know what kind of protocol it is, what servers they have .. .but from my perspective as a user, I don't see it any worse or better than any others out there.

    I use some xmpp accounts, and have OTR on top of that... it's no better than ICQ in any way (from my perspective as a user) and in fact, ICQ seem to be faster.

    1. Re:ICQ by Gilgaron · · Score: 1

      Yeah AIM was what everyone at school used, and ICQ was what all the online gamers used back in the day since it had a file transfer function first. The fog horn and "uh oh" sound effects of ICQ will be burned in my memory, much more distinctive (although probably more annoying to many) than the modern chimes and bings.

  17. Re:Pidgin is rough around the edges. by alexo · · Score: 1

    True, but it gets the job done most of the time.

  18. Someone pulled the cord and turned the lights off. by Cutting_Crew · · Score: 1

    it was down at 1 AM EST - and never to return again.

    "Received unexpected response from https://api.screenname.aol.com...: Invalid DevId"

  19. Interesting article - AIMs start by Cutting_Crew · · Score: 1

    AIM was originally designed in secret and AOL execs wanted to kill it"

  20. Re:why is there nothing to replace it? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

    The closest thing I've seen recently is Tox: decentralised, end-to-end encryption, supported clients for Windows, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD, Android and iOS. The one key feature that it's currently missing is multiple-device support, though that's allegedly coming soon.

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  21. Re:Remember "punters" and kicking users off? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

    I don't remember those, but I do remember that AIM and ICQ at the time exposed IP addresses and most MODEMs back then were vulnerable to the ping of death (a ping packet can contain any payload and most MODEMs used in-band signalling, so if you embedded the AT command sequence for hangup in the ping then when the target echoed it back their MODEM would hang up).

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  22. Re:Where to go? by Mordaximus · · Score: 1

    ... And not only is Skype crap, it's Microsoft only, and we all know where that leads (see Windows 10).

    Methinks you failed to count Mac OS, iOS, Android, Linux and Skype for Web

  23. AIM for Cybiko, Anyone? by DevCybiko · · Score: 2

    I wrote an AIM client for the Cybiko Handheld Computer for Teens back in 2001. The Cybiko was toy of the year in 2000. It was a handheld computer with a full keyboard and GameBoy quality display. It also had a 2Ghz wireless connection so that up to 50 Cybikos could communicate. If you connected one Cybiko to your PC through the serial port, you could use my software to do AIM communication on one or several other Cybikos remotely. When smartphones came on the market the following year, the Cybiko died a quiet death and all the Cybiko staff migrated to game programming for flip phones. Greg Smith "Devcybiko"