What was your first AIM screenname?
‘I only ever typed in pink italics to my buddies’
We all remember the days of those classic AIM conversations.
“Hi”
“Hey”
“What’s up?”
“Nmjc, u?”
“Same”
Sometimes the conversations would even escalate to a relationship.
“So who do u like?”
“Idk, kinda u. Wbu?”
“I like u 2. Will u be my gf?”
“Yeah <3”
And that was a big deal.
Where the real entertainment lies is in your first ever AIM screenname. Ranging from “laxgod9” to “pinkgoddess367,” it’s a wonder how we ever thought our conversations could’ve been taken seriously. We took to the sidewalks of campus to ask students what their first ever AIM screennames were, and their responses were ~all that and a bag of chips~.
Sumner Park, sophomore, Journalism
AIM: modelbaby5656
“My mom wouldn’t let me use the word ‘babe’ in the name, so I had to use ‘baby’ instead.”
Kate Rand, junior and Emily Rand, junior
AIM: ksoccergirl30059 and heyimemily1010
Kate said: “Emily and I would get in the worst fights of our lives trying to decide who got to the use the computer.”
Emily added: “I always won. And then I was taken to a psychologist for bullying Kate when we were five.”
Michael Williamson, sophomore, PWAD and Psychology
AIM: souljaboy96
“Soulja Boy was really in at the moment, and ‘96 was the year I was born.”
Sydney Oakley, junior, Graphic Design
AIM: buffalowings48
“I still use it as my gmail account and Onyen. I made that my screen name because I love wings, and the number eight was my jersey number for soccer. I actually had wings for dinner just last night.”
Emily Kupec, sophomore, Journalism
AIM: dancingroxmysox229
“I was a dancer and the numbers are for my birthday, February 29th. I’m actually technically only four years old. What a life.”
Will Leimenstoll, alumnus, 2012-2013 Student Body President and Brandon Wong
AIM: uncrazycooper13 and youngpharoah17
Will said: “I liked UNC, I thought I was cool enough to say I was crazy, I loved Mini Coopers and I was 13 years old.”
Brandon said: “I loved Egypt and my first soccer jersey number was 17. An interesting fact about my AIM life was that I only ever typed in pink italics to my buddies.”
Paige Parrott, junior, Advertising
AIM: abercrombybabe333
“’Abercrombiebabe333′ was already taken, so I had to improvise. The worst thing, though, was when my parents put a two hour limit on my computer usage. I cried over that one.”
Annie Wainer, junior, Public Relations
AIM: dolphingirlie0220
“Dolphins were my favorite animal. But my dad got a keynote tracker connected to my account, and every single key I touched was sent to him.”
Jimmy Boehling, sophomore
Onyen: hotfries
“I can’t remember my first screenname, but my mom accidentally made ‘hotfries’ my Onyen. She meant to make it my password. Surprisingly, none of my professors have ever mentioned anything about it, but whenever it gets brought up with my friends, they make so much fun of me.”
Even though AOL Instant Messenger is now only a distant memory for us 90s kids, the fond memories of buddy icons and away messages will forever be *~cHeRiShEd~*. TTYL!