14 Things We All Did with AOL Instant Messenger
These 14 nostalgic habits from the AOL Instant Messenger era will take you straight back to the early 2000s internet.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
Before social media, AOL Instant Messenger or AIM was the heart of online communication. It was the ultimate way to connect with friends after school. Here’s a look back at the totally relatable things we all did on AIM.
1. Picking the Perfect Screen Name
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Choosing a screen name was a rite of passage, often filled with numbers, random capital letters, or inside jokes. Many of us cycled through names before landing on “the one.”
2. Setting Away Messages with Song Lyrics
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Away messages were our version of social media posts before social media existed. Using moody song lyrics or cryptic messages let friends know your “vibe” without actually talking.
3. Collecting Buddy Icons
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Changing your tiny pixelated buddy icon felt like a fashion statement. Whether it was a cartoon character, glittery animation, or a celebrity photo, that 48x48 square spoke volumes.
4. Chatting in Group Rooms
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Random public chat rooms were the wild west of the internet. You’d meet strangers, argue about music, or play text-based games until someone yelled in all caps.
5. Waiting for Your Crush to Sign On
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Seeing that little door icon pop up when your crush logged in was pure adrenaline. Sometimes, you’d “accidentally” message them, pretending it wasn’t planned.
6. Mastering the Art of the Away-But-Online Status
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Many of us set fake away messages just to lurk undisturbed. It gave the illusion of being busy while secretly reading every incoming message.
7. Playing with Fonts and Colors
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Customizing chat text with neon colors or unreadable fancy fonts was part of the fun. The wilder it looked, the cooler you felt; even if your friends begged you to tone it down.
8. Using Invisible Mode to Spy
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AIM let you appear offline while secretly online, and we all abused it. It was perfect for avoiding certain people or just checking who was active.
9. Saving Chat Logs
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Many people saved entire conversations, thinking they were priceless memories. Whether it was gossip, inside jokes, or heartfelt confessions, those text files felt like digital time capsules.
10. Getting Booted Off When Someone Used the Phone
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Back in the dial-up days, chatting could end abruptly if someone picked up the house phone. That “goodbye” AOL voice was heartbreaking.
11. Sending Nudge-Style Messages
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If someone didn’t respond fast enough, the polite solution was to type a dramatic “HELLO???” or poke them with a “nudge.” It was a passive-aggressive way to demand attention.
12. Creating Overly Dramatic Profiles
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Your AIM profile was like a mini MySpace before MySpace existed. Inside jokes, song lyrics, or mysterious initials filled the space. The more cryptic it was, the more you hoped someone would ask about it.
13. Feeling Famous When the Buddy List Was Full
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AIM only allowed so many friends on your buddy list, and hitting that cap felt legendary. You’d carefully organize them into groups like “School,” “Family,” and “Cool People.”
14. Hearing That Iconic Door Sound
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The “door opening” and “door closing” sounds became the soundtrack of our nights. It meant someone new was online or logging off, and it was oddly exciting every single time.