I am being sentimental. Twenty years of service and Yahoo
Messenger is shutting down. After the death of Friendster, it is the next
casualty of the evolution in messaging platform. The news came as a crashing
blow but there was really nothing surprising about it. With the increasing
number of Facebook messenger users, it was bound to happen.
The 20-year-old app finally capitulated to the competition
and will bid its goodbye to the virtual world of technology on July 17, 2018.
It will be a sad farewell to one of the pioneers in this platform which paved
way for the improvement of communications of friends and families all over the
world. I believe that the rise in popularity of emoticons in Internet forums
could be attributed to Yahoo Messenger. After all, who could forget the smiley
that used to greet us in opening the app?
It is therefore with a sad heart that I remember the five
unforgettable features of Yahoo Messenger.
1. The BUZZ- The ‘buzz’ button
that shakes the window message whenever you press it is on top of the list.
There’s this feeling of urgency and excitement whenever you hear that ‘buzz’ sound
combined with the moving box. Facebook messenger doesn’t have this and I doubt
if it could replicate this YM’s feature.
2. The ‘OPENING SMILEY’-
The opening smiley is a welcome respite from a long day of work and you’re
trying to get in touch with your friends and family. Well, it becomes a sad
emoticon whenever the log in is not successful. Again, current communication
platforms do not have this feature.
3. The YAHOO MUSIC-
This feature allows you to choose different music by theme or genre. I remember
working long hours while listening to jazz and country music. You could even
show your contacts what music you were listening to!
4. The STATUS- Long
before Facebook asked you ‘what’s on your mind?’, YM already allowed its
users to let your contacts know about your day and whether you’re available or
not. It also has the option to keep your availability hidden by showing that
you’re offline even though you're technically NOT.
5. The Emoticons- Yahoo
Messenger has it all. From celebration, daily greetings, to sad emotions. And
it definitely deserves a sad emoticon right now.
Yahoo Messenger was my first taste of modern instant
communication. It’s a cliché’ but it’s the truth nonetheless that not
everything has a happy ending, and not everything has an ending. Some things
just kind of dribble away or cut off abruptly. Yahoo Messenger might be joining
its virtual friends in Technology heaven but the memories will be left forever
in the hearts of its loyal users.
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