So long ICQ and thanks for all the fish

2024-05-25

ICQ is closing, thank you for the memories.

Just caught the news about ICQ finally shutting down on 26 June.

Its goodbye to an era which has shaped quite a bit part of my online identity. As a tween in the 90s, ICQ was my very first instant messenger.

So many fond memories remembering friends’ ICQ UIN numbers. Heck, I’m surprised I still remember my ICQ number till today, over 20+ years later. (We didn’t have usernames, instead we rely on a bunch of sequential numbers to give to friends to let them connect with us)

It was a fun time, perhaps a simpler time when connections felt more pure and the world felt smaller and safer.

So long 11603733, and thanks for all the fish 🙇‍♂️

(for internet bragging points - I had a 6 digit UIN which I one day forgot the number, and subsequently lost access to it)