PSA: AIM Will Be Discontinued Tomorrow

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.

Regretting that "lifetime" license...

[Albert71292]

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

Re:

[Cutting_Crew]

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.

Re:

[lucasnate1]

Trillian still supports facebook messenger?

Re:Regretting that "lifetime" license...

[alexo]

May I interest you in Pidgin [pidgin.im]?

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

Re:

[alexo]

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

Re:

[antdude]

People still use ICQ? :O

Re:

[msauve]

People still use the Bookface, so why not?

Re:

[antdude]

Yeah. People still use FriendFace [youtube.com] too! ;)

Re:

[blind biker]

ICQ is still kicking around?

Re:

[nonicknameavailable]

Owned by Mail.Ru Group

Re:

[TheRaven64]

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?

Re:

[BacOs]

AOL sold ICQ [archive.org] in 2010.

Net Neutrality Strikes Again

[Anonymous Coward]

This is Trumps fault.

The last reminder of web 1.0

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Re:

[tepples]

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

Why discontinue it?

[b0s0z0ku]

... 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.

Re:

[viperidaenz]

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

How many people actually use AIM?

Re:

[DontBeAMoran]

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.

Re:

[nonicknameavailable]

iMessage is Apple only

Re:

[mark-t]

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.

Re:

[tepples]

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.

Re:

[DontBeAMoran]

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

Re:

[DontBeAMoran]

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

Re:

[sexconker]

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.

Re:

[viperidaenz]

Congratulations, active user number 12.

Re:

[sexconker]

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

Re:

[fisted]

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

Re:

[thegreatbob]

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

AIM - also known as AOL Instant Molester

[Indy1]

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.

Re:

[sexconker]

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.

Re:

[thegarbz]

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

A/S/L

[Anonymous Coward]

A/S/L

Re:

[dohzer]

AIM wasn't IRC.

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

ASL?

[DatbeDank]

18/F/CA

When in reality:

42/m/MA

You spelled CIM wrong

[WillAffleckUW]

CompuServe, my friend.

Tech is degrading

[lucasnate1]

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

Cue Cricketts

[jwhyche]

Chirp... Chirp,,,

RIP AIM

[thegreatbob]

We... knew him.

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

Re: things you won't miss...

[backslashdot]

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

Re:

[TheRaven64]

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.

Good...

[Pezbian]

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

Re:

[TheRaven64]

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).

ICQ

[geekymachoman]

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 IC

Re:

[Gilgaron]

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.

Someone pulled the cord and turned the lights off.

[Cutting_Crew]

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

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

Interesting article - AIMs start

[Cutting_Crew]

AIM was originally designed in secret and AOL execs wanted to kill it" [mashable.com]

Re:

[Mordaximus]

... 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

AIM for Cybiko, Anyone?

[DevCybiko]

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 q