End of an era: AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) is being shut down

AOL Instant Messenger is being shut down on Dec. 15, and those of us who essentially "grew up" on the internet are feeling the loss.

Raise your hand if you used AIM to awkwardly flirt with people you had big crushes on. Because I know I did. Much heart-racing, hope and, let's be honest, disappointment began on the instant messaging service that defined internet usage in the late '90s and early 2000s for some people.

Before texting on smartphones became what it is today, AIM was the way to stay connected to your friends. When you were away from your computer, your Away Message could tell friends what you were off doing. Your bio might have had information about you, but more commonly it was the home for song lyrics, movie quotes, bad inside jokes or "secret/subtle" references to your crush.

And because you always wanted to know when certain people -- like your best friend, or, let's say, your crush -- got online, you would set a specific sound to only play when they got online. Turn your PC speakers way up so that you can hop off the couch and run to the desk whenever you hear that sound, just so you can be the first person to hit them up with that all-important message of, "Hey."

(Yeah, OK, crushes are a common theme with my AIM usage. I know I'm not alone in this.)

The official announcement asks people to share memories on Twitter with the hashtag #AIMemories, which is clever. But most people are just saying "RIP AIM," so that's what's trending.

And boy, there are some memories. For instance, did you know that the idea for John and Hank Green's super popular "vlogbrothers" YouTube-channel-turned-media-phenomenon began on AIM?

Here are some more memories people are sharing via Twitter.