Dead AIM?

My work friends seem convinced that no one uses AIM anymore. Everyone else I know is not so sure—I know a lot of other people who do use AIM pretty regularly.

So I don’t know if most of the world has moved on to Gchat or if my publishing colleagues are just ahead of the curve (those in the know, insert joke about publishing and media here). Personally, although instant messaging figured heavily into my college thesis, I don’t like talking online via any means. To me, it’s one of the most awkward possible means of having a conversation. I’m terrible at reading tone of voice online, I can never tell if the person I’m talking to really wants to be talking to me, I never know when to end the conversation (especially if I want to remain online but just not talk to the person anymore), and if someone disappears for awhile, I don’t know if she went to pick up her laundry or if something I said offended her.

However, I do remember college, where life revolved around AIM. Before the Facebook status or Twitter, there was the AIM away message. We were constantly on AIM, updating our profiles to reflect the new dorm room we were in, the colors of our mood, and whatever clever quote we’d happen to come across. And it was imperative that the away message inform our friends, classmates, and potential stalkers where we were at all times. Studying! In the shower! Out with my friends (see, world, I have friends)! “Why isn’t the guy I like answering my messages? He’s away but not idle!” “Ooh, look, the girl in my freshman philosophy class whose away messages I check even though I never talk to her just got arrested with her roommates after her party got busted!” (True story.)

One thing that’s been lost in the translation from away messages to Facebook statuses and Twitter, though, is the art of the song lyric message. Most song lyrics are too long to sum up our deepest feelings in 140 characters, but that wasn’t a problem with the AIM away message! No, we didn’t have to come right out and say what we were feeling because an artist we liked had done it for us, leaving us with cryptic lyrics to provide our friends, hoping that they’d decipher our mood. And there were truly lyrics for every emotion. Here’s a sampling of how melodramatic and self-important Katie’s buddy list thought she was in college (and yes, I know my taste in music is all over the place and often questionable and no, I am not ashamed):

The Life-Is-Good-Let’s-Enjoy-This-Moment Message
This is the time to remember
‘Cause it will not last forever
These are the days to hold onto
‘Cause we won’t although we’ll want to
This is the time
But time is gonna change…
-Billy Joel, “This Is the Time”

Turns out not where but who you’re with that really matters
-Dave Matthews Band, “Best of What’s Around”

The I-Have-An-Unrequited-Crush Message
I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now…
-Oasis, “Wonderwall”

Look at me
My depth perception must be off again
‘Cause this hurts deeper than I thought it did
It has not healed with time…
-Saliva, “Rest in Pieces”

The I’m-Having-A-Crisis Message
Back in the days when everything seemed so much clearer
Women in white who knew what their lives held in store
Where are they now, those women who stared from the mirror?
We can never go back to before
-“Back to Before” from Ragtime (a song I love from a musical I’ve never actually seen)

I just don’t understand how
You can smile with all those tears in your eyes
And tell me everything is wonderful now…
-Everclear, “Wonderful”

The I-Will-Survive-Whatever-That-Crisis-Is Message
It’s times like these we learn to live again
It’s times like these we give and give again
It’s times like these we learn to love again
It’s times like these time and time again
-Foo Fighters, “Times Like These”

It’s all right, I’m okay
I think God can explain
I believe I’m the same
I get carried away
It’s all right, I’m okay
I think God can explain
I’m relieved, I’m relaxed
I’ll get over it, yeah
I’m so much better than you guessed
I’m so much bigger than you guessed
I’m so much brighter than you guessed
-Splender, “I Think God Can Explain”

The I’m-A-Supportive-Friend Message
If I am only here to watch you as you suffer
I will let you down
-Nine Days, “If I Am”

When you come back down
If you land on your feet
I hope you find a way to make it back to me
When you come around
I’ll be there for you
Don’t have to be alone with what you’re going through
-Lifehouse, “Come Back Down”

The I-Like-Myself-Even-If-You-Don’t-You-Bitch Message
Sometimes I’m clueless and I’m clumsy
But I’ve got friends that love me
They know just where I stand
It’s all a part of me
That’s who I am
-Jessica Andrews, “Who I Am”

I don’t want to be anything other than what I’ve been trying to be lately
All I have to do is think of me and I have peace of mind
I’m tired of looking ‘round rooms wondering what I gotta do and who I’m supposed to be
I don’t want to be anything other than me.
-Gavin DeGraw, “I Don’t Want to Be”

The OMG-Onset-Of-Quarter-Life-Crisis Message
What do you do with a B.A. in English?
What is my life going to be?
Four years of college and plenty of knowledge
Have earned me this useless degree
I can’t pay the bills yet ‘cause I have no skills yet
The world is a big, scary place
But somehow I can’t shake
The feeling I might make
A difference to the human race
-“What Do You Do With a B.A. in English?” from Avenue Q

I wake up scared
I wake up strange
I wake up wondering if anything in my life is ever gonna change
I wake up scared
I wake up strange
And everything around me stays the same
-Barenaked Ladies, “What a Good Boy”

The I’m-Pissed-At-Someone-I’m-Not-Going-To-Name Message
You were almost kind, you were almost true
Don’t let them see that other side of you
-Guster, “Either Way”

Look here she comes now
Bow down and stare in wonder
Oh how we love you
No flaws when you’re pretending
But now I know she
Never was and never will be
You don’t know how you’ve betrayed me
And somehow you’ve got everybody fooled
-Evanescence, “Everybody’s Fool”

The I-Just-Watched-Garden-State Message

They won’t see us waving from such great heights
“Come down now,” they’ll say
But everything looks perfect from far away
-Iron and Wine, “Such Great Heights”

It’s all right
‘Cause there’s beauty in the breakdown
-Frou Frou, “Let Go” (actually, I didn’t use these away messages much myself, but there was a time where it seemed like half my buddy list did)

The Has-No-Relevance-To-My-Life-I-Just-Like-The-Sound-Of-It Message
And football teams are kissing queens and losing sight of having dreams
In a world where what we want is only what we want until it’s ours…
-Train, “Calling All Angels”

Scars are souvenirs you never lose
The past is never far
Did you lose yourself somewhere out there?
Did you get to be a star?And don’t it make you sad to know that life is more than who we are?
-Goo Goo Dolls, “Name”

The Time-For-Bed-Message (yes, I had a few of those)
When you dream, what do you dream about? Do you dream about music or mathematics
Or planets too far for the eye?Do you dream about Jesus or quantum mechanics
Or angels who sing lullabyes?
-Barenaked Ladies, “When You Dream”

Someday we’ll all be gone
But lullabyes go on and on
They never die.
That’s how (buddy name) and I will be
-Billy Joel, “Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel)” (remember that thing that would insert the buddy’s screenname into the away message?)

Plus lots of other songs that only worked on certain occasions. U2’s “Beautiful Day” for the first nice spring day we had. When I participated in a dance marathon, I was thrilled that it gave me a chance to use Melissa Etheridge’s “Dance Without Sleeping.” And around graduation time…do I even need to name all the sappy songs we had to choose from?

Writing this post has made me realize that I listen to music differently now than I did when I was in college. I think having the option of the away message gave me a more self-centered view of what I listened to. Now, when I hear a song I like, I often think of a story that the lyrics could be applied to, but it’s not usually a scenario that involves me. And being a few years removed from college has made me see how inconsequential most of the dramas I paid tribute to in my away messages really were.

I don’t usually beg for comments, but in this case, I know I’m not the only one who fondly remembers the days where AIM was the center of our worlds and the away message was the source of all your knowledge about your friends, roommates, and former classmates you haven’t seen since freshman year. What did you put up for your away messages?

10 thoughts on “Dead AIM?

  1. Molly

    I use AIM on a daily basis, my BF and I use it to communicate since it is cheaper than texts and more reliable than FB chat.

    I find it interesting that AIM wasn't that much a part of my college experience, FB status messages had pretty much taken over by that point.

    Reply
  2. Molly

    I use AIM on a daily basis, my BF and I use it to communicate since it is cheaper than texts and more reliable than FB chat.

    I find it interesting that AIM wasn't that much a part of my college experience, FB status messages had pretty much taken over by that point.

    Reply
  3. Christina

    hahaha…oh college…if i'm to be honest oh high school as well. you know me, techie nerd.

    i do use aim on a regular basis. i just have it hooked up to gmail so i don't have to have an extra window open. and i can have both gChat an aim open at the same time. haven't seen you on of late though.

    you were rather obsessed with lyrics as away msgs. i smiled reading them.

    Reply
  4. Christina

    hahaha…oh college…if i'm to be honest oh high school as well. you know me, techie nerd.

    i do use aim on a regular basis. i just have it hooked up to gmail so i don't have to have an extra window open. and i can have both gChat an aim open at the same time. haven't seen you on of late though.

    you were rather obsessed with lyrics as away msgs. i smiled reading them.

    Reply
  5. Pete

    I really hate 'talking' online although this is partly due to being such a gimp at typing (the gimpness increases exponentially under pressure). It was such a relief when I found out how to 'go offline' on facebook and, suffice it to say, I've never used AIM. BTW the commentary on 'Up In The Air' in your previous post was bang on target.

    Reply
  6. Pete

    I really hate 'talking' online although this is partly due to being such a gimp at typing (the gimpness increases exponentially under pressure). It was such a relief when I found out how to 'go offline' on facebook and, suffice it to say, I've never used AIM. BTW the commentary on 'Up In The Air' in your previous post was bang on target.

    Reply
  7. katrina kay

    yeah, i used to be on AIM a lot during hs, but it seems like people don't use it much anymore (myself included). i think most people us fb/gchat, like you said. although (unfortunately) i do see a lot of song lyric stuff on facebook, too. or people will lnk the vide -.-

    Reply
  8. katrina kay

    yeah, i used to be on AIM a lot during hs, but it seems like people don't use it much anymore (myself included). i think most people us fb/gchat, like you said. although (unfortunately) i do see a lot of song lyric stuff on facebook, too. or people will lnk the vide -.-

    Reply

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