7 ms·
I think it was a combination of things. If I remember correctly, AIM was an AOL subscription exclusive in the beginning so only the dopes on there were using it
by jm4 18y ago
I think it was a combination of things. If I remember correctly, AIM was an AOL subscription exclusive in the beginning so only the dopes on there were using it. The cool kids were on ICQ and I think there were very few AOL users willing or able to use a separate chat client.
Anyway, AOL eventually opened up AIM to everyone and people started using it. It was easier. AIM used screennames. ICQ was cool because you could use any name you wanted but the actual user id was an 8 or 9 digit number (mine was 36915037- not sure why I remember that). It was a total pain in the ass when you wanted to add people to your friend list. Plus, on ICQ you had to receive approval from a user to add them to your buddy list and on AIM you could just add people. Sometimes, you'd sit there in pending approval purgatory wondering if you added the right person with those crazy user id's. AIM was just plain easier.
ICQ had more features and more users, but it was just easier for a lot of them to use AIM so they could chat with their dopey friends who were still using AOL. Meanwhile, AIM was updated with new features frequently and marketed heavily. ICQ still remained relatively popular, but they really sat on their asses over there. After a while AIM caught up and even experimented with video and voice chat while ICQ stayed the same for years.
Eventually, AOL purchased ICQ and basically put it out to pasture. Still, it managed to stick around for a long time. I'm not sure they were expecting that. It's the technology that just won't die.
- dan_sim 18y agoGreat! I thought that MSN being shipped with Windows was really the big problem for ICQ. By the way, I know 1 or 2 people that still remember their ICQ number... that's odd but it proves how deep ICQ was in their heart.
- siong1987 18y agoI know why you remember that. Because you have a "eight" digit ICQ number. People at that time used to think that shorter ICQ ID was cooler.
- timcederman 18y agoMine was 394868
- mattdennewitz 18y agoused to?
- g1rlb0t 18y ago967599 ;)
- gojomo 18y ago161192
- bootload 18y ago166482
- barryfandango 18y ago1703934
- pavel_lishin 18y ago5540905. Can't believe I remembered that. It sort of rhymes in my head.
- compay 18y agoOoohhh... 7 digits: 6980539 I signed up in 1997 or 1998... haven't used it for anything in a LONG time.
- alexkay 18y ago6 digits and still using it: 666778 ;-P
- cnu 18y agomissed by 1?
- walesmd 18y ago1170403 - no idea why I remember that, haven't used ICQ since the days of Quake Team Fortress.
- dan_sim 18y agoIf everyone that still remember their number would do a "forget password" and add their account to Pidjin (or whatever), maybe they could find long forgotten friends. The problem is that they will see the last cool name they gave to themselves (something like ---~~~ dARk eviL MaGICian ~~~---)
- alex_c 18y agoI remember my number too... I once typed it in on an assignment instead of my student number. D'oh.
- transburgh 18y agoIt was the opposite where I grew up. AOL was the cool kids and ICQ were the dopes. Hence ICQ falling away.