Open Oscar Server: open-source server compatible with AIM and ICQ clients

There's something beautifully stubborn about keeping AIM and ICQ alive. Open Oscar Server isn't just a nostalgia trip—it's a middle finger to the corporate graveyards where these protocols were buried. AOL killed AIM in 2017, and ICQ's been limping along under Russian ownership, but the protocol itself is just sitting there, waiting for someone to care. This project does that, and it does it in the most open-source way possible: no central authority, no data mining, just you and your own server. The real kicker here is the community angle. People aren't building this because they need it—they're building it because they *remember* it. That's the kind of passion that drives open source more than any corporate backing. And with 37 points and 13 comments on Hacker News, it's clear there's a niche but dedicated audience that still feels the pull of those old chat rooms. It's not going to dethrone Discord, but it doesn't need to. It's a monument to a simpler time, and it's honestly kind of beautiful. That said, don't expect a walk in the park. Getting legacy clients to work with modern network stacks is a headache, and security is a whole other beast. But that's the fun of it, right? The challenge is part of the appeal. This isn't just a server—it's a statement that the internet's history isn't a corporate property. It belongs to the people who lived it.