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BION (believe it or not), instant messengers (IMs) have been around for nearly two decades already. AAMOF (as a matter of fact), the very first IM tool -- a chat app for PCs -- debuted in 1996. Cue The Wayback Machine: It was called ICQ, short for I Seek You.
IM apps have come a long way since, giving rise to a whole new digital convo shorthand, endless TMIs, LOLs and LMAOs included. The the following infographic, care of WhoIsHostingThis.com, briefly tracks the history of IM services.
Related: Top 10 Apps For Instant Messaging (Infographic)
From the genre’s humble “buddy list” beginnings to today’s top trending mobile messaging apps, like Skype and WhatsApp, it’s been a bit of a bumpy ride. (Oddly, there’s no mention of Kik. WTH?)
Take a trip down IM memory lane below.
Related: Should Your Business Use Instant Messenging?
Kim Lachance Shandrow
Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributo...
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