• @herrcaptain@lemmy.ca
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    685 days ago

    ICQ was my first foray into meeting girls online, back when that was a really weird thing to do.

    Post a/s/l to pay respects.

      • @EngineerGaming@feddit.nl
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        55 days ago

        As someone who has most of her socialization on IRC now… Eww, mIRC is proprietary and for Windows. Maybe it’s just me having learned about IRC only a couple years ago and thus not having a sentimental attachment, but why use it if you have open-source ones like Hexchat, Irssi or Weechat?

        • kingthrillgore
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          45 days ago

          I used mIRC for years, but as the days have marched on, XChat replaced it, and then irssi, and finally weechat on SSH.

        • @Glitterbomb@lemmy.world
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          34 days ago

          For me, mIRC had a clunky but useful script editor included that 14 year old me spent countless hours creating little chatbots with

  • @deranger@sh.itjust.works
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    5 days ago

    RIP 53215700, the oldest account I’m still aware of that I’ve forgotten the password to. Must have made it in 98 or 99.

    Edit: it was actually 2001 because I was in a Tribes 2 clan and we used ICQ to chat.

    • Y|yukichigai
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      215 days ago

      86336930 checking in. Pretty sure I remember the password, but it’s not like I can check now.

      You will be missed, ICQ. When no other messaging service worked, you always did.

        • Maestro
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          45 days ago

          22421382 here. I can’t believe I still know that number by heart after 20+ years.

          • r00ty
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            35 days ago

            Pretty sure mine was 16399753. But, not logged in for probably 15 or more years, so could be wrong.

            No idea whatsoever about the password :P

      • Y|yukichigai
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        35 days ago

        I’m not sure how the numbers were doled out, but in 2000 it was a big deal having a sub-9-digit ICQ number.

        • @AbidanYre@lemmy.world
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          5 days ago

          Maybe I’m off by a bit then. I could have sworn I had one in like the 500k range but it must have been around '97 or '98.

          • @TexasDrunk@lemmy.world
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            45 days ago

            I got on ICQ in 97 or 98 to keep up with friends from a MUD and mine was 7 digits. I haven’t logged into it in over a decade because when I went back to see if anyone from the old game was around none ever showed up online.

  • @phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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    5 days ago

    UH OH!

    With ICQ I learned the social skills that I couldn’t on the real world because I had been bullied to near death. I talked to random people all over the world, learned that I could talk to girls without having to feel like shit.

    Used it so much, and with volume up, my upstairs neighbor thought I was watching the teletubbies all the time because of the UH OH!

    Met my first girlfriend this way, she was in Mexico, I was in Europe. Moved to Mexico to marry her (bad idea, she was rather manipulativr and a huge cheater as it turned out, got divorced) and lived in Mexico for samn near 20 years.

    To say that ICQ had a big positive influence in my life is an understatement, it changed my life beyond anything I’ve ever had before.

    Thank you.

    • muse
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      125 days ago

      I feel you. I signed up for a Border’s rewards card the day before the company went under

  • lazynooblet
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    115 days ago

    I’m pleasantly surprised the number of replies on Lemmy saying they used this service. It’s nice to know that there are some old people on here, like me :)