#internet tools

[fullest-circlest]

how convenient

[icqmuseum24]

🇺🇸 Before purchasing the iconic ICQ Messenger from Mirabilis, AOL Inc. had already developed its own internet messaging tool. Released in May 1997 as a stand-alone download for Microsoft Windows, AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) quickly became the go-to platform for online communication. Created by American Online Inc., AIM used the OSCAR and TOC protocols to connect users in real time, becoming a cultural phenomenon by the late 1990s.

💾 At its peak, AIM had the largest share of the instant messaging market in North America, particularly in the United States, where it held 52% of the market as of 2006. This figure excludes other AOL-related instant messaging software like ICQ and iChat. AIM's main competitors included ICQ (which AOL acquired in 1998), Yahoo! Messenger, and MSN Messenger. AOL had a notable rivalry with PowWow and Microsoft, sparking the "chat wars" in 1999.

🚶‍♂️ The AIM mascot, designed by JoRoan Lazaro, debuted with the first release in 1997. This yellow stickman-like figure, known as the "Running Man," appeared on all AIM logos and wordmarks and was always featured at the top of the buddy list.

👩‍🎓🧑‍🎓 AIM was particularly popular among teens and college students in the United States and beyond. Its away message feature allowed users to share their whereabouts, thoughts, and plans with friends, making it a staple of daily digital interaction. AIM wasn't just a messaging app; it was a way of life.

📉 Despite its early success, AIM's popularity began to decline in the 2010s. The rise of Gmail's Google Talk, the advent of SMS, and the explosive growth of social networks like Facebook led to a decrease in AOL subscribers. AIM's fall from grace is often compared to other once-dominant services like Myspace.

📆 In June 2015, AOL was acquired by Verizon Communications, which later merged AOL and Yahoo into Oath Inc. Unfortunately, on December 15, 2017, AIM was discontinued, marking the end of an era.

💔 Though AIM is no longer with us, its impact on digital communication remains unforgettable. It paved the way for the instant messaging services we rely on today, leaving behind a legacy of nostalgia and innovation.

[copperbadge]

Dear Mr. Badge, have you seen the news about Evernote's new owner, Bending Spoons, just now laying off the entire remaining staff after a series of layoffs this spring? Hopefully it's not the end, but considering your extensive collection on the site, it might be good to verify if it is true and, well. Sic transit memoria interretis and all that.

Well shit, Anon, I had not, thank you!

Evernote has been through this before and it appears the layoffs are because they're relocating to Europe, but instability on any platform is generally cause for concern. It's a good idea in general to back up any archive you maintain online. Sic transit memoria interretis indeed.

I really only use Evernote these days for archiving fanfic and tumblr posts that I want to save, but that's not an insignificant body of work. I'm in the middle of backing up all of my evernote notebooks and if you guys use Evernote, you should too. That said, if you want a desktop-side, local version of Evernote, it's basically a clone of Microsoft OneNote, which I use extensively in my professional life, since it's "notepad but you can tag it and also it autosaves". Do recommend if you can get your hands on a copy.

Otherwise, just remember: no website is eternal, and if the service is free, it's likely not permanent.

[techtimechronicles24]

📅 On August 29, 2003, the first version of Skype was released, revolutionizing how people communicate over the Internet. Developed by Scandinavian entrepreneurs Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, in collaboration with Estonian developers Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, and Jaan Tallinn, Skype set a new standard for online communication.

🌍 Today, Skype is owned by Microsoft, but its impact on how we connect across the globe remains undeniable.

[queriesntheories]

Okay, adding another tool to the Internet Trinkets pile; this is basically the VLC trick I posted but 1000x better.

A web-based social media video/audio downloader with no tracking, no ads, no foux de fafa!

cobalt

save what you love. no ads, trackers, or other creepy bullshit.

Thank you to @lakefoundtheirexit who brought this to my attention in the VLC post replies! :D

You can download video and audio from a heck ton of social media sites like YouTube, Twitter/X, Reddit, TikTok, Vimeo, Twitch, Tumblr(!) and many more!

I would implore you to leave a donation when using if you can afford to do so!

[liminalweirdo]

what do you think are the most important things to utilize if someone wanted to learn to amplify their tech-literacy/tech-using experience?

We all know about add-block and anti-tracker add-ons, I'm thinking things like using github for various things, downloading youtube vids using yt-dlp. etc. etc. Bonus points if you can drop guides/how-tos

Other examples are things you can do with word, like adding macros, etc.

Also, what are your favourite non-game programs and apps? This could be anything.

i'm hoping to get a list where lots of folks can add on so if you could reblog that would be awesome

[triaelf9]

So I made a little something that I hope ppl will be able to share around as a little reminder for everyone online to not forget their Internet Tools when they go into convos or threads, even if it's "just" fandom stuff & not only serious stuff. Feel free to use! (yes, this means you may save it to your computer and use it as a reaction anywhere, in fact, please do).

[floatingbook]

Since you're a separatist, I feel like you should know about PeerTube. Basically, it's open-source code you can use it to host your own YouTube-esque video site, and even if you don't want to host it yourself, I want to get the word out. I'd like to maybe make a women's-only video platform with PeerTube, or at the very least, inspire someone else reading this to look into it. Hope you're having a nice day!

Here's the link to the PeerTube website, and its FAQ. It's also interesting to look into what Framasoft has to offer in general, especially regarding the goal of de-googlifying the internet.