Yup - it was pervasive when I first used it. It was an amazing way to tie in people from diff. online communities with whom I'd otherwise have much less intera

Yup - it was pervasive when I first used it. It was an amazing way to tie in people from diff. online communities with whom I'd otherwise have much less interaction. At one point I recall them moving ICQ To the Oscar (early AIM) protocol but it was dying by then, replaced with the other 800000 IM systems available.