Anyone Remember Instant Messaging?

Earlier this evening I realized that I haven’t run Adium X in a very long time. In fact, the only time I can remember opening an instant messaging client was a few weeks ago when I was trying to help a coworker use iChat to video conference her friend. I don’t imagine I’m alone in this. What was seemingly something that was impossible to live without just a few short years back, instant messaging seems to be all but dead.

Back in college AIM (and later Trillian) was an everyday staple, constantly running providing a never-ceasing connection to just about everyone I knew. Around the end of my college years, maybe 2005ish, the slow, quiet death of IM began, when a mobile version of AIM came out. It functioned using text messages… which basically defeated the purpose of AIM and only pointed out that text messaging was a far more effective means of communication. Widespread text messaging use provided a constant, always-there connection. Around the same time AIM away messages were slowly being replaced with Facebook status updates. These, along with a few other variables (perhaps a full-time job?) lead to the eventual neglect of instant messaging.

Then came Twitter. I have talked about Twitter before and not exactly in the highest of lights, but since my last rant on their service it’s gotten much, much better in both usability and uptime. When using the @reply system, Twitter is basically instant messaging 2.0. It’s a constant, always-on connection to not just friends but the entire world through pretty much ever medium imaginable: web, text messaging, mobile clients, desktop clients, and yes, even desktop instant messaging clients. It basically takes the original AIM concept to the next level.

So I guess instant messaging isn’t dead per se, but rather it’s evolved away from a simple desktop client to multiple methods of communication that isn’t limited in any way. It’ll be interesting to see what the next iteration of instant messaging will be.