ICQ will stop working from June 26

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

ICQ, one of the earliest mass‑market instant messengers, is shutting down on June 26 after nearly three decades online, prompting an outpouring of nostalgia from people who still remember their numeric “UIN” IDs by heart. Commenters recall ICQ’s formative role in their social and technical lives—from first online friendships and relationships to early experiences with always‑on chat, file transfer, and multi‑protocol clients—while contrasting that era’s more open, interoperable tools with today’s locked‑down, corporate messaging platforms. Many see its closure as another marker of the old, less commercialized internet giving way to fragmented, mobile‑centric ecosystems.

Nostalgia and Personal Impact

  • Many recall ICQ as their first or formative online chat experience (school, university, early jobs).
  • Large number of commenters still remember their numeric UINs and even passwords decades later, often more easily than phone numbers or birthdays.
  • ICQ is tied to major life events for some: first romantic relationships, long‑term friendships, even meeting future spouses.
  • People remember specific sensory details: the “uh‑oh” sound, the spinning flower logo, away messages, and the feel of chatting from a desktop at home.

Features, UX, and Protocol

  • ICQ is praised for:
    • Offline/store‑and‑forward messages (seen as a key innovation vs AIM/MSN for some).
    • Early presence states (away, invisible, DND).
    • Random chat / user search for meeting strangers.
  • Some report ICQ used peer‑to‑peer messaging and file transfer with server‑side presence and offline queueing.
  • Others highlight downsides: unencrypted by default, security issues, bloated official client, adware, and protocol changes that broke third‑party clients.

Regional Use and Ownership

  • ICQ had strong, long‑lasting adoption in Russia and nearby countries; many there used it into the 2010s before moving to VK, Telegram, etc.
  • Polish clone Gadu‑Gadu is mentioned as still existing but largely abandoned or spammy.
  • Several note ICQ’s sale from its original creators to AOL and later to a Russian company (now VK); some are wary of VK‑linked replacements and surveillance, others are indifferent.

Comparisons to Other Messengers and Open Protocols

  • ICQ is contrasted with AIM, MSN, Yahoo, Skype, and later Discord/Slack/WhatsApp/Telegram.
  • Many miss the era of multi‑protocol clients (Pidgin, Trillian, Miranda, Adium) where one app handled all networks, versus today’s siloed, mobile‑centric messengers.
  • IRC is repeatedly cited as “never dying” due to open protocol and self‑hostability, though some say it has shrunk drastically compared to its peak.
  • Matrix, XMPP, Zulip, and bridges/bouncers are discussed as modern open alternatives, with mixed views on usability vs centralized apps.

Cultural Reflections

  • Strong sentiment that the shutdown marks “end of an era” and symbolizes the loss of the early, more “frontier” internet.
  • Multiple long subthreads reflect on:
    • The shift from “offline by default” to “always online.”
    • How constant connectivity, mobile notifications, and platform lock‑in changed social behavior.
    • A sense that earlier internet interactions felt more thoughtful, less commercialized, and less optimized for “engagement.”