Nostalgia for the early days of the internet - ICQ Shuts Down After 27 Years, No More "Oh-Oh!" Moments
ICQ is a significant piece of internet history: Anyone who was online around the turn of the millennium likely has the iconic signal tone etched into their memory - a brief "Oh no!" that signals the arrival of a new message. Before Whatsapp, Signal, Discord, and the rest, ICQ's heyday reigned on the internet - the app featuring a modest flower logo was arguably the first instant messenger.
With the debut of the first DSL flat rates concurrently, numerous users spent nights immersed in ICQ. The platform was groundbreaking at a time when online communication predominantly revolved around email, forums, and cumbersome chat portals: an uncomplicated, user-friendly software that enabled users to connect with anyone around the globe almost instantaneously. "Everyone, everywhere" was the mantra. Many individuals even employed ICQ as a dating app during that period.
The Demise of ICQ: Shutting down on June 26th
ICQ, which debuted in 1996 from the Israeli firm Mirabilis, holds the origin of the phrase "I seek you." AOL acquired the service in 1998 for several hundred million dollars. When Web 2.0 loomed alongside the rise of social media portals and eventually smartphones and instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, ICQ neared insignificance.
The continued operation of this service may come as a shock to many, but the era of "uh-oh" is about to end permanently. The German Press Agency reports that ICQ's current operators will discontinue the messenger service starting June 26th. In 2010, the service was transferred to the Russian operator of the local Facebook analogue, VK. The VK Messenger chat service is proposed as an alternative to users on the website after the ICQ shutdown.
In the gallery: From socializing with friends to composing emails or even jotting down the grocery list, we write a lot on our smartphones. These tips make typing more comfortable on the iPhone.
Read also:
Source: www.stern.de
