About Joe Hammond
Hey! I'm Joe
I build things that bring back parts of the internet that shouldn't have disappeared.
WebAIM — a fully browser-based recreation of AOL Instant Messenger, the chat app that defined the internet for a whole generation. Sign in with a screen name, build your buddy list, blast someone with a "lol brb," set a cryptic away message quoting your favorite band, pick a buddy icon, join a chat room, and actually talk to real people in real time — all with the authentic Windows 98 look, classic door-knock sounds, and every bit of the nostalgia.
- Real-time messaging powered by Firebase
- Buddy lists, groups & online presence
- Away messages with auto-reply (and the classic %n, %d, %t variables)
- Buddy icons & editable profiles, group chat rooms, the actual AIM sounds
- Full Windows 98 desktop UI — taskbar, desktop icons, start menu, the works
Your support helps cover hosting for both and keeps me motivated to keep adding features — and keep resurrecting things that used to exist and shouldn't have gone away. Every coffee counts — thanks for keeping the early internet alive. 🙏
Recent supporters