So long ICQ and thanks for all the fish

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)