ICQ was also huge in Italy and, I understand, most of western Europe, at the turn of the millennium. Then MSN took over.
Imagine if the global phone network was balkanized like messaging networks...
Imagine if the global phone network was balkanized like messaging networks...
Outside the United States, very few people were on it. When I signed up to play some video games with some US friends from a forum, I remember having to Google a valid US address and it's matching ZIP code as it wouldn't even let me sign up without one.
MSN was more popular in western Europe and as I understand it ICQ (eventually federated and shared some tech, but not the same network) was the top early IM in eastern Europe. Can't comment on the rest of the world at that time but I doubt the sign-up form was any more accepting of Korean addresses for example.