_.-;;-._
  '-..-'|   ||   |
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  '-..-'|   ||   |
  '-..-'|_.-''-._|

~~~ W E L C O M E   B A C K   T O   T H E   2 0 0 0 s ~~~

AOL Instant Messenger — Windows 98 Simulator

Back in 1998

AOL Instant Messenger came out in 1997 and by 2000 was how American teenagers talked after school: a screen name instead of a phone number, a Buddy List that showed who was online, Away messages with song lyrics, and the creak of a door every time a friend signed on.

What you can do here

AIM 4.1 as it looked in 2000: the Sign On window with the Running Man, the Buddy List with its Online and List Setup tabs, buddies signing on to the sound of a door opening and off with a slam, Away messages and member profiles.

Instant Message windows have the original formatting toolbar — text and background colour, font size, bold, italic, underline, links — and the 16 yellow smileys: type :-) or press Ctrl+1. Warn or block someone, or find new buddies by e-mail address or name. Nobody real is on the other end: the buddies are virtual friends from 2000, always up for an after-school chat.