2024-05-26 01:35:08
An Web relic from the 2000s is dying out. The messenger service ICQ is being discontinued – and with it part of the youth tradition of that point.
Initially of the 2000s, folks weren’t reachable across the clock. Cell telephones have been cumbersome and largely not but internet-capable, and sending a single textual content message price cash. However then the primary chat companies got here alongside – and out of the blue it was a lot simpler to remain in contact with associates or speak to folks from all around the world.
In Germany within the mid-2000s, one messenger particularly was common – ICQ. Anybody who had an account with the service on the time will bear in mind the brand – a inexperienced flower with a purple leaf – and the standard “Ah-Oh” sound once you obtained a message. Some folks nonetheless know their ICQ quantity, which that they had to make use of to log in.
ICQ shall be discontinued on June 26
However that can quickly be historical past. ICQ, one of many oldest chat companies ever, is quickly to be shutting down after greater than 27 years. The ICQ messenger will not work from June 26, the operators introduced on the service’s web site.
ICQ was launched in 1996 by the Israeli firm Mirabilis. The title alludes to the phrase “I search you”. On-line pioneer AOL purchased the service in 1998 in the course of the first Web growth for a number of hundred million {dollars}. In 2009, ICQ had over 470 million customers. However then got here competitors within the type of different messengers – reminiscent of MSN – and eventually smartphones.
In 2010, the service was taken over by a Russian firm, which now additionally operates the native Fb clone VK. As a substitute for the discontinued ICQ Messenger, customers are really helpful the chat service VK Messenger on the web site.