Today, 6 September, marks an 18th anniversary for Tess and I: September 6th is the day we first met and chatted on the Internet. At the time it was with #apmcp's online First Class Client (which amazingly is still in existence: the virtualizaton-based firm must have had a major winfall when virtual was re-branded "The Cloud.") Tess was in her first year in the Vancouver-based apmcp program and I was already in Hong Kong having finished the apmcp the previous year. At first we used the apmcp First Class Client chat program and then we moved to Hotmail Messenger. The first few months was catching up on normal nonsense (what was the latest thing happening on Melrose Place, unavailable in Hong Kong at the time) and I helped direct Tess with research for her program's major paper. You can get more background on our Internet romance here.
Even though First Class Client is still around, the ampcp (Asia Pacific Management Co-Op Program, co-modelled after one of Thunderbird's programs in the USA) offered by Capilano University (at the time Capilano College) is long gone. It had a good run of 20+ years but then met it's end. The apmcp alumni still runs strong with various small or large reunions taking place all over the world as alums keep track of one another's travel. But time moves on, and while the alumni persist the apmcp that gave birth to the global alumni network was eventually end-of-lifed.
Now, thanks to the evolution of technology, Messenger will also meet its end. I remember when Hotmail e-mail first launched in 1996, shortly followed by Hotmail Messenger. The chat tool name changed not long after being purchased by Microsoft in 1997. Messenger chat was widely used by many for years but finally other forms of technology left it on the dusty tech shelves. I learned about Messenger's demise this past week and thought it ironic we were only a few days away from September 6th. So Happy 18th Chat Anniversary, Tess, we have come a long, adventurous and joyful way since Melrose Place.
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