ICQ shutting down after 28 years

[Eric]

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40467625
https://icq.com/desktop/en

I know a bunch of us used this to communicate for a while lol.

[Don]

I always assumed it was just shut down a long time ago in the instant messenger merry-go-round wars.

[Julius Seeker]

Yeah, this was the first messenger service I ever used. Back in the late 90s, it pretty much replaced the telephone for communication among high schoolers. And by the time I was in University, it was more or less ICQ and texting - but texting had limitations back then (like 20 a day, then you pay extra). ICQ was culturally significant until AIM/MSM replaced it, despite the fact that they didn’t seem any better, functionally.

Side note: in Utopia, we used ICQ alongside mIRC to gather people for massive alliance assaults. (gangbangs, as we called them!)


Much like Don, I thought ICQ shut down 15+ years ago.

[Oracle]

Uh oh!

Lots of StarCraft, Diablo, and Warcraft 2 games were coordinated (here and with others) via ICQ. Diablo guild meetings - ICQ.

ICQ was responsible for my first and only court date!

High school party, went 'viral' on ICQ before viral was a thing. 300+ teenagers from various high schools in a 1000sqft bungalow. I had the football team checking IDs at the door, to keep elementary kids out. Cops show up to kids brawling in the intersection between my house and my high school. Smiled and asked the judge if I could pay the fine immediately in cash. My Mom's poor shrubs.

My friends called it the Fantastic Voyage party because people kept flooding in through my deck doors like out of the trunk in that video.

Good times.

RIP - 544549

[Eric]

17379734 still have it memorized lol.

[Julius Seeker]

Uh oh!

Lots of StarCraft, Diablo, and Warcraft 2 games were coordinated (here and with others) via ICQ. Diablo guild meetings - ICQ.

ICQ was responsible for my first and only court date!

High school party, went 'viral' on ICQ before viral was a thing. 300+ teenagers from various high schools in a 1000sqft bungalow. I had the football team checking IDs at the door, to keep elementary kids out. Cops show up to kids brawling in the intersection between my house and my high school. Smiled and asked the judge if I could pay the fine immediately in cash. My Mom's poor shrubs.

My friends called it the Fantastic Voyage party because people kept flooding in through my deck doors like out of the trunk in that video.

Good times.

RIP - 544549

There aren’t legendary parties like that anymore. Or at least not many.