ICQ, Where Are You?

“Uh-oh!” That nostalgic little sound notifiying you of an instant message used to come out of the speakers of almost every computer online. However lately, these speakers are pouring out a different tune. What happened? I started using ICQ back in 1997 when I heard about it from a friend who asked me what my “ICQ Number” was.

My number? I had no idea what she was talking about. After seeing it in action on her computer, I had to have it. What a cool way to instantly communicate with someone! Previously I had been using web-based chat and IRC (Internet Relay Chat) to pass the time away. My first and only ICQ number was 12516865. It’s still active over a decade later and I’d hate to see what lengthy numbers new users today are assigned.

I slowly moved away from ICQ shortly after AOL purchased them for a whopping $407 million dollars in mid-1998. Where did I turn to? AIM. AOL let me be something other than just a number by specifying my own “screen name.” The best part was I could communucate with the then horde of AOL users without having to use the AOL Internet Service.

I still use AIM today quite often and log in to ICQ for the hell of it using one of those nifty all-in-one IM programs (Audium). I don’t talk to anyone ICQ, just receive the usual daily dose of spam since ICQ has become a hotbed for sleezy advertising. Will I continue to log in to ICQ? Who knows. I thought back in the day that AOL would disolve ICQ entirely in favor of AIM but it looks like it’s growing to the tune of 31 million or more spammers… I love the Internet.