AIM- The Messenger that Shaped Online Communication

AOL Sign-on Logo (Photo Source https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/AOL_Instant_Messenger)

When I recently asked an acquaintance for her email address, she provided one ending in aol.com. Although I tried to contain my surprise, I failed. AOL was so ’90s, so long ago, and quite outdated. I did not realize people still had AOL email. Slightly embarrassed, she explained that she was not very tech-savvy and wanted to avoid the hassle of changing email addresses. At that point, I regretted my reaction, which was a bit out of character for me, but I hadn’t thought of AOL in years. However, as a Generation Xer, memories started to flood back. One of my first thoughts was of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in the blockbuster movie You’ve Got Mail. It was at that moment I had so many more questions. I started with the obvious: does she still hear the iconic “You’ve Got Mail” notification when signing in? Unfortunately, she said no. Although AOL still provides an email platform for its loyal users, it looks and feels similar to any other email platform today. AOL nostalgia began to bubble to the surface, and soon fun memories of the AOL instant messenger, AIM, with its buddy lists, away messages, distinctive sound effects, fun emoticons, and the famous “Running Man” logo had me smiling. It all made me realize how AOL and its instant messenger, AIM, significantly influenced the future of online communication.

The Humble Beginnings

AOL launched AIM in May 1997, an instant messaging service for AOL users to chat in real-time. (Jowitt, 2017b). When AOL engineers Barry Appelman, Jerry Harris, and Eric Boscoe developed the user-friendly platform and engaging features, they pioneered real-time communication (Jowitt, 2017b). Ironically, AOL wasn’t initially excited by the trio’s creation of AIM (Jowitt, 2017b). AOL’s business model operated on a dial-up internet service that charged users an hourly fee; this AIM messenger product did not fit the mold. AOL execs were even contemplating firing Appelman. Undeterred, Appelman and his team continued to work on the AIM project privately, and finally, the execs relented. AIM was released quietly and without publicity. AIM was just a little icon part of the AOL Desktop (Jowitt, 2017b). Despite its very humble beginnings, AIM quickly became popular in homes and workplaces. Users could instantly communicate with friends, family, and co-workers without picking up their phones or waiting on a slow email thread. Whether the user was a teenager or an adult, they readily adopted this technology (Gardner, 2017).

Defining Future Online Communication

AIM developed many key features and innovations (Magazine & Delgado, 2022). These key features remain or have evolved on more contemporary social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The AIM buddy list allowed users to see which friend was online and available to chat; this is now a staple on social media platforms today, with green dots next to names or announcements that a friend is active. AIM users could also set away messages to let their buddy list know they were unavailable; this evolved into status updates on current social media platforms, notably Facebook. AIM also allowed users to create personalized profiles with avatars and screen names; this evolved into the social media profiles we use today. The AIM file sharing benefited many users; I recall sending a photo using this feature for the first time. The ease of this feature allowed me to share links and pictures frequently with old classmates and family. File sharing is now a staple feature on all social media platforms (Desjardins, 2016).

AIM was not just about instant messaging; it was a platform that fostered social interaction. It offered features like ‘nudging’ friends to get their attention, playing games with friends, and joining chat rooms to discuss topics with like-minded users (Orion, 2023). These features evolved, and the ‘nudge’ became the ‘poke’ on Facebook. The simple games of chess and checkers evolved into games requiring friends’ help, such as Farmville, and the creation of Facebook Groups replaced chat rooms.

AIM also introduced the fun world of emoticons and text-speak to the communication landscape (Gardner, 2017). Users loved the classic smiley, laughing, and winky faces. The text-speak “BRB” and “LOL” are synonymous with texting today, but their origins were from the AIM days of the ’90s (Bowman, 2017). The original emoticons have evolved into thousands of new emoticons or stickers that users can use on social media platforms today, along with unique texting options on smartphones. In my nostalgia, I am optimistic that the original laughing smiley face with the corresponding “LOL” still holds a special place in many of our Gen Xer hearts, reminding us that sometimes, a simple smile or laughing face is all we need.

AOL Emoticons (Photo Source: https://never-obsolete.tumblr.com/post/620122087023165440/aim-smileys)

The Peak

AIM peaked in the 2000s, with 61 million active users (Magazine & Delgado, 2022). AIM was also essential for small and large companies (Gardner, 2017). Wall Street even embraced AIM. The six major firms- Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Lehman Brothers, UBS, and Deutsche Bank- made their messaging platforms compatible. Hence, AIM messages work between the firms seamlessly, the same way emails were sent (Magazine & Delgado, 2022). This integration went all the way from Wall Street to Stuart, Florida. When entering the workforce in 2006, I recall the attorney I worked for warned me not to buzz, knock on his door, or disturb him; he only wanted a simple AIM message. He encouraged all of us to do the same, but most of us still craved some face-to-face contact, so we met at the copier or each other’s offices to chat about a client or our day. While AIM was integral to our daily lives, I remember still clinging to face and voice contact.

Competition and Ultimate Decline

Despite its massive success, AIM faced challenges, which included competition and technological advancements. Initially, AIM faced run-of-the-mill competition with Yahoo’s Messenger and Microsoft’s MSN Messenger. However, Microsoft took its instant messaging service one step further by making it compatible with AIM (Jowitt, 2017a). AOL and MSN Messenger battled back and forth with updates and threats. Finally, AOL threatened to “introduce malicious code into MSN’s system” (Jowitt, 2017a). Microsoft finally abandoned AOL and combined forces with Yahoo. Ultimately, AIM was worried about competition, but it should have been trying to adapt to burgeoning technology with social media.

While AIM was a widely popular messaging product, it couldn’t compete with the development of social internet platforms, AIM lost its base users to Facebook and Twitter (Orion, 2023). AOL officially shut AIM down on December 15, 2017.

AIM Final Message (Photo Source:https://justanman.org/posts/the-last-message-sent-on-aim/)

The Legacy

Although we no longer hear, “You’ve got mail,” AIMs contribution to online communication leaves a lasting legacy. As Michael Albers, the vice president of communications product at Oath, the parent company of AOL said, “AIM tapped into new digital technologies and ignited a cultural shift, but the way in which we communicate with each other has profoundly changed.”(Victor, 2017)

Thanks to AIM’s innovation, social media has changed the communication landscape, including advertising. As I embark on my new career in social media, I will no longer act surprised when I receive an aol.com email address; instead, I will applaud the user for staying true to the pioneer of how we got here today. As with everything in life, there will be something new up ahead, and we will look back at today with fond memories and hopefully a smiley face.

References

Bowman, N. (2017, December 11). AIM brought instant messaging to the masses, teaching skills for modern communication. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/aim-brought-instant-messaging-to-the-masses-teaching-skills-for-modern-communication-86980

Desjardins, J. (2016, November 17). The Evolution of Instant Messaging. Visual Capitalist. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/evolution-instant-messaging/

Gardner, H. R. (2017, November 16). AOL Instant Messenger | Center for Mobile Communication Studies. Sites.bu.edu. https://sites.bu.edu/cmcs/2017/11/16/aol-instant-messenger/

Jowitt, T. (2017a, December 22). Tales In Tech History: AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Silicon UK; Silicon UK. https://www.silicon.co.uk/e-marketing/socialmedia/aol-aim-history-226431/2

Jowitt, T. (2017b, December 22). Tales In Tech History: AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) | Silicon UK Tech News. Silicon UK. https://www.silicon.co.uk/e-marketing/socialmedia/aol-aim-history-226431

Magazine, S., & Delgado, M. (2022, May 16). In the 25 Years Since Its Launch, AOL Instant Messenger Has Never Been “Away.” Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/in-25-years-since-its-launch-aol-instant-messenger-has-never-been-away-180980086/

Orion, E. (2023, January 7). A Nostalgic Look Back at AOL Messenger: Remembering the Iconic Instant Messaging Service — TechDaring.com. TechDaring.com — Tech, Gaming, Media & Mobile. https://techdaring.com/a-nostalgic-look-back-at-aol-messenger-remembering-the-iconic-instant-messaging-service/

Victor, D. (2017, October 6). A Going-Away Message: AOL Instant Messenger Is Shutting Down. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/06/technology/aol-aim-shut-down.html