The Final Away Message: An Obituary For AIM

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aim obituary

AOL has pulled the plug on the only cool thing it ever offered: AOL Instant Messenger. After a strong 20-year run, AIM dies for good on December 15th. And sure, the last time you used the program was five-ever ago and it really doesn’t offer you much anymore, but the news still breaks our nostalgic hearts. We must mourn and let go of the place our childhood social lives were rooted, and remember all the good times we had. RIP to a way for us to be petty through angsty status updates, all the fights that led us to go on ~invisible~, and all the "hey" "hey" "sup" "nmu" "nmjc" "lol" conversations that got us through puberty. Without further ado, here are the parts of AIM we'll miss the most.

Multiple AIM screen names

Because you couldn’t just stick with one, and it had to have hella numbers and at least a little bit of incorrect spelling. Some previous screen names of mine include: broadwayrox77, xoxtiff367, ilovecheez891.

TyPiNg sO rAnDoM XD

~I hOneSTly dID tHiS bC i tHoUGhT iT WAs CuTE!!!!!~~** #bringitback

Buddy Icons

Don’t lie, we know you spent countless hours finding just the right icon to express your emo 6th grade self perfectly. The more animation, the better.

Flirting through AIM

Not only was AIM the main channel for flirting, but was also an art. If your crush logged on, it was fucking game time. Who messages first? Do I say hey with three y’s or five? And if they log out without saying bye ttyl or brb dinner? Cue the angsty away message.

Begging Your Parents for More Time on the Shared Family Computer

Yes, there was only one clunky computer in the house and yes you had to split the time with your younger sibling who wanted to play Webkinz 24/7. Didn't they understand that AIM couldn't wait for their game of Cash Cow to end? You had to talk shit about how Lauren totally bought the same outfit as you from Limited Too after you wore it on the field trip last Wednesday!

SmarterChild

Because why would I do my algebra homework when I can mess with an AI chat bot?

The Sound Effects

The slamming door sound effect when your friends logged off is truly triggering.

The Unironic Love for Comic Sans

Ah, the simpler times when Comic Sans graced our profiles because we genuinely enjoyed it as a typeface. There was not a drop of ironic humor to be found in the early '00s.

Mastering Abrevs

People chalk up lol, nm, g2g, brb, ttyl to texting culture, but the truth is anyone on AIM was way ahead of the curve. And don’t forget the classic, and left behind, A/S/L.

Blocking People and Going Invisible

Guess I was a shady bitch even in elementary school.

May 1997-December 2017. You will be missed. *cue slamming door effect*

CultureTiffany Morannostalgia, technologyComment