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Ask HN : What killed ICQ?

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Re: Ask HN : What killed ICQ?

#41

Post by raquo »

guruz wrote: post #13

As a German, I would not call it killed. It's very poplar here. But I think most of my friends use things like Miranda or Gaim/Pidgin and not the bloat-client. Even the lesser tech-savy ones. They got it installed by the nerds ;)

In Russia too, ICQ is the dominant IM protocol. Many geeks use jabber though (together with ICQ).

And Livejournal is the dominant blog platform. I guess the network effect (resulting from being first to market?) has something to do with it.

And, BTW - 282192658. And I used to remember my first cell phone number too for a long time. That's probably because it was so cool to be able to chat / call for the first time.

Re: Ask HN : What killed ICQ?

#42

Post by zandorg »

mattmichielsen wrote: post #36
dan_sim wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now I remember... all the sounds were ON by default. The "oh-oh" everytime someone sent you a message... so agressing...

I'm totally going to set that as all the default windows sounds on my coworker's computer who used to be my ICQ contact years ago.

I made that my sound in Trillian too. Except, I had to edit it in audio editor Cooledit to compress it, etc.

Re: Ask HN : What killed ICQ?

#43

Post by bootload »

siong1987 wrote: post #5
jm4 wrote: post #3

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 cou…

I 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.

166482

Re: Ask HN : What killed ICQ?

#44

Post by barryfandango »

siong1987 wrote: post #5
jm4 wrote: post #3

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 cou…

I 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.

1703934

Re: Ask HN : What killed ICQ?

#45

Post by pavel_lishin »

siong1987 wrote: post #5
jm4 wrote: post #3

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 cou…

I 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.

5540905.

Can't believe I remembered that. It sort of rhymes in my head.

Re: Ask HN : What killed ICQ?

#46

Post by compay »

siong1987 wrote: post #5
jm4 wrote: post #3

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 cou…

I 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.

Ooohhh... 7 digits: 6980539

I signed up in 1997 or 1998... haven't used it for anything in a LONG time.

Re: Ask HN : What killed ICQ?

#47

Post by pavel_lishin »

dan_sim wrote: post #17
vasudeva wrote: post #7

Mine was 299961. I still remember it despite having forgotten the password several lifetimes ago.

So many people remember their ICQ number, it's frightening. Do they remember their phone number at that time?

I remember my number, but not any of my old phone numbers or addresses. Sometimes I forget my own birthday.

Re: Ask HN : What killed ICQ?

#49

Post by nir »

I think it was mostly multi-protocol clients, which are not limited to one network, and products that one-upped IM like Skype or gTalk. Other than that, is ICQ more dead than MSN messenger or Yahoo's IM or AIM?
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