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ICQ is an Instant Messaging Computer Program , owned by Time Warner 's AOL subsidiary. ICQ was first developed by the Israel i company Mirabilis . The first version of the program was released in November 1996 . The name ''ICQ'' is an Oronym on the phrase "I seek you". FEATURES ICQ features include sending text messages, offline support, multi-user chats, free daily-limited SMS sending, resumable file transfers, greeting cards and Multiplayer Game s. Other features included a searchable user directory and POP3 email support. ICQ users are identified by numbers called UIN, distributed in sequential order. As of ICQ 6, users are also able to log in using the specific E-Mail address they associated with their UIN during the registration process. New users are now given a UIN of well over 400,000,000, and low numbers (six or five digits) have been auctioned on EBay by users who signed up in ICQ's early days. Blog showing eBay auctions of UIN , 25 March, 2006. Retrieved 22 June 2006. Since 2000, ICQ and AIM users are able to add each other to their contact list without the need of any external clients. AOL quietly linking AIM, ICQ , Tech News on ZDNet, 25 September, 2000. Retrieved 22 June 2006. UIN UIN was coined by Mirabilis, to be used as the name of the so called '''Universal Internet Number''' or '''Unified Identification Number''' that each user of the ICQ instant messaging software is assigned upon registrationhttp://www.icq.com/icqtour2000b/more.htmlhttp://www.icq.com/info/press/press_release2.html. Unlike most other instant messaging programs, in ICQ the only information that is permanent to a registered user is the UIN, although users are able to search for users by their e-mail address, much like MSN, or in fact any other detail that the user made public about himself or herself. The screen name may be changed at will, without having to re-register, as can all other kinds of user information, including e-mail. As a response to increasing ''UIN theft'' of attractive or very short UINs by . This only applies if a valid primary email address has been entered into the user profile since 1999. DEVELOPMENT HISTORY First versions ICQ was developed in , Arik Vardi , Sefi Vigiser and Amnon Amir . After AOL bought it, it was managed by Ariel Yarnitsky and Avi Shechter. America Online acquired Mirabilis on June 8 , 1998 for $407 million, ($287 million in cash and $120 million over a three-year period based on growth performance levels).http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/21011 Later versions
CONFIDENTIAL AND COPYRIGHT According to the terms of service, users surrender the property rights and copyrights of information posted through ICQ. From the "ICQ Terms Of Service" "ICQ Terms Of Service - Acceptable Use Policy" on ICQ site, 07 june 2000: You agree that by posting any material or information anywhere on the ICQ Services and Information you surrender your copyright and any other proprietary right in the posted material or information. You further agree that ICQ Inc. is entitled to use at its own discretion any of the posted material or information in any manner it deems fit, including, but not limited to, publishing the material or distributing it. VERSIONS
OTHER PRODUCTS ICQ Pro came about since the emergence of ICQ Lite to differentiate between the two available clients. Though the "Pro" brand has yet to be updated, ICQ versions 4, 5 and 5.1 are in effect updates to the veteran 2003 Pro version, which is commonly considered to be "version 3". Also available is "ICQ2Go" which is an online, minimalistic version of the fully fledged software, written in Flash , or its older version using Java . ICQ inc. also developed an alpha version of Compad , an experimental instant messaging client similar to ICQ, though it is not available for worldwide use. Spinoffs of ICQ included a corporate version for the workplace (named ICQ Groupware), and ICQ Surf, which displayed a list of other ICQ users who also happened to be surfing on the same website as the user was. Both programs are no longer available to download. CLIENTS AOL 's OSCAR Network Protocol used by ICQ is Proprietary , but a number of people have created more or less compatible third-party clients, including:
AOL has recently begun making its ICQ software more AIM -like by adding AIM Smilies , as well as introducing cross AIM/ICQ communication. Users on ICQ are able to communicate with AIM users; however, such capability is in Beta stages. IN POPULAR CULTURE ''ICQ'', a short film about ICQ, was directed by Greg McLean , who later wrote Wolf Creek . The film was described by its writer as a mystery/drama, and it concerns a man who while surfing the ICQ network comes across a woman whose acquaintance he could well have done without. The relationship runs the gauntlet of intrigue through to the sinister. It was released in 2001 . The short film took out the "Best Director" award in October 2001 at the New York International Independent Film And Video Festival . On return to his home soil in Australia , McLean's film was nominated for Best Sound Design (short film) for the prestigious AFI ( Australian Film Institute ) awards in 2002. ICQ is referenced in the Prozzak song "It's Not Me, It's You" from their 2000 album "Saturday People"http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/2597736/a/Saturday+People.htm: "Prophecy came true, Message coming through, Click on ICQ, Parting words of love denied are..." http://www.lyricsdownload.com/prozzak-it-s-not-me-it-s-you-lyrics.html The "uh-oh" sound from ICQ can also be heard in the Prozzak song www.nevergetoveryou ICQ plays an important role in a Polish popular novel ''Samotność w sieci'' (Loneliness in the Net) as its main protagonists accidentally find each other in the Internet and, via ICQ, they develop a passionate feeling. CRITICISM
The acceptable use policy has been criticized for containing this passage: ''You agree that by posting any material or information anywhere on the ICQ Services and Information you surrender your copyright and any other proprietary right in the posted material or information. You further agree that ICQ Inc. is entitled to use at its own discretion any of the posted material or information in any manner it deems fit, including, but not limited to, publishing the material or distributing it.'' ( ICQ Acceptable Use Policy ) It is unclear if the passage is meant to include messages sent amongst the users or just information that is meant to be publicly available, like the user profiles.
ICQ only offers a -Plug-in or - Proxy
ICQ has also been criticized for lack of customer support http://www.icq.com/boards/view_messages.php?tid=30227&topic_id=2215340. It is not possible to contact ICQ staff with questions or technical problems. The "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the ICQ website can only be used for Business, Sales and Marketing inquiries. The customer support is usually needed when one's ICQ account is stolen (or blocked by ICQ for no apparent reason). See below.
ICQ accounts often get stolen by Cracker s. ICQ usually provides no help for victims, except their automated password retrieval system. In fact, the system is intended primarily for people who forgot their passwords and not to those whose accounts are stolen. The methods of stealing of accounts include:
Less common methods of password theft can be:
A common defense method, which is recommended by ICQ itself, is to set password questions and answers (and write them down on paper) so you could use it to change your password back in case it is changed by an intruder. TRIVIA
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