So long, AIM, we’ll miss you

AOL shut down AOL Instant Messenger, aka AIM, today after 20 years of existence. AOL announced the news in October, saying the service was no longer needed because people have new ways to communicate, and AIM isn’t part of our messaging diet.

“AIM tapped into new digital technologies and ignited a cultural shift, but the way in which we communicate with each other has profoundly changed,” wrote Michael Albers, communications products VP at Oath (the Verizon behemoth that consumed AOL).

The shutdown was coming for awhile, especially after AOL revoked access to AIM from third-party chat clients in March.

Although I’m surprised AIM lasted this long and truly hadn’t thought much about the service since middle school, it still feels like the end of an era. I remember my dad making my first screen name in 5th grade, which I will absolutely not disclose because it’s horribly embarrassing. I also remember my first taste of “bot” conversations with SmarterChild. Those were unproductive, but bots are still around and a key part of Facebook Messenger. And Slack Statuses remind me of Away Messages, which truly were an art form; I wish I could dredge up some of my old ones. While the service is technically gone, we still have features from the past integrated into our current platforms. We won’t forget AIM.