Chat Room History Timeline
Pre Online Chat Room Era
August 1988-November 1988
- The Birth Of IRC (internet relay chat)
- Internet relay chat was first invented by Jarkko Oikarinen as he wrote the first internet relay chat server and client.
- Internet chat relay was first and became widely spread through Finland. At this time internet connections never left Finland. (you could only connect with other people and websites within Finland)
- The first internet relay chat user was Mike Jacobs outside Scandinavia.
- The first internet relay chat network was tolsun.oulu.fi
- Internet relay chat spread across the internet in November 1988
1989
- 40 internet relay chat servers were running throughout the world.
- Internet Relay Chat ll was released by Michael Sandrof.
1990
- July: Internet chat relay averaged about 12 users on 38 servers.
- A new internet chat relay network (ChNet about 25 servers and no users) was setup to develope a new version of ircd (2.6), who developed the first one and when i don't know. This server imploded due to disagreements between programmers.
Online Chat Room Era
1995
- Java applet support was introduced to web browsers and soon after java chat was developed (used IRC as its backbone).
- Yahoo became incorporated and opened up their chat service?
- Java web chat networks started popping up everywhere.
1999
- Msn developes ActiveX Chat Technology and opens their online chat room service.
- October 18th: HearMe Inc., developed support for voice communications within chat rooms.
2003
- October 14th: Msn switches chat service to subscription only in most countrys excluding chatters in Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Brazil
2005
- May, 2005: Yahoo drops java based online chat rooms
2006
- August 31st: Microsoft announces termination of all msn chat rooms.
- October 16th: Msn closes their chat service.(at around 11:30 am EST)
This brings us to the end of popular online chat networks ...or is it?