Pretend it’s 1998 with this functional AOL Instant Messenger clone
Today’s instant messaging apps just don’t have the same charm as the OG ones. Some are a jumble of reading receipts and stickers, while others are super minimal and boring. Inspired by AOL Instant Messenger, a 15-year-old user interface designer wanted to change that. It created a throwback to early messaging apps, with a Windows 98-inspired theme.
The designer’s name is Owen, and the idea came to him after listening to a podcast episode on AOL Instant Messenger. He calls the app “pingPong,” and while most modern apps try to hide their edges behind rounded corners and soft gradients, this project relies on the gray, blocky aesthetic of a classic Windows desktop environment. You get a friends list, a status area and a chat window.
You may have noticed that Owen is only 15 years old and therefore has limited experience with pre-2010 software. But as someone who has actually used AIM and Windows 98, I’m impressed by the details. The interface layout intelligently changes depending on your device, keeping the friends list and chat box side by side on your monitor while stacking them for your phone. It’s pretty cool to see an ancient interface mixed with modern flexibility.
One feature in particular that is interesting to see make a return is the away message. These days, we need to be reachable at all times and respond to messages quickly. But with pingPong, as was the case with AIM back in the day, you can only message someone if they’re actually online. If not, you are greeted with a static, customizable text note. That’s how it was in the early days of instant messaging. In fact, you had to wait for a friend to sign up before you could talk to them.
Now, obviously, pingPong suffers from the same thing that all messaging apps do: “the network effect.” I can sit here and tell you why pingPong is cool and better than the alternatives, but if you don’t have anyone to talk to, there’s no reason to use it. So ultimately this is an impressive project from a kid born several years after Windows 98 and AIM became popular. Nice work, Owen.
AOL dial-up internet is dead
Remember the days when you had to make sure no one in your household was using the phone before going online? The era of dial-up Internet is now distant, with broadband and fiber optic Internet present in most homes, but the service has been retained. But now it will be offline in less than a few months.
