# Finding people on AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 2004, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-people-on-aim-aol-instant-messenger/260569 "2004-08-19T16:21:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-people-on-aim-aol-instant-messenger/260569/1 "2004-08-19T16:21:06Z")
ICQ (which has always been the best IM chat client) allows you to use their website to search their user database; you don’t have to have the software installed. There are a few people who I want to look up on AIM, but it seems you have to have the program installed in order to search their database. I don’t really feel like installing it. Maybe I’m just inobservent with regards to their homepage, but can you look up AIM users without having the client installed? ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-people-on-aim-aol-instant-messenger/260569/2 "2004-08-19T18:59:07Z")
[buddysearch.org](http://www.buddysearch.org/) That site requires you to register. Why do you want to look buddys up on AIM if you don’t plan to install the AIM software? ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-people-on-aim-aol-instant-messenger/260569/3 "2004-08-19T20:22:57Z")
Well, I might install it. But it seems pretty pointless to just install it, do some various searches, then uninstall it if they don’t work out. And it’s not just an install either, you have to get an account (which means choosinga nickname, settuping up a profile, etc.). I don’t want to bother. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-people-on-aim-aol-instant-messenger/260569/4 "2004-08-20T04:22:56Z")
I don’t think that site is what you think it is. I’m pretty sure it only searches for people registered for said site itself (ie, not the AIM database). ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-people-on-aim-aol-instant-messenger/260569/5 "2004-08-20T05:33:37Z")
Searching for someone using the AIM software, itself, is pretty hit-or-miss. Being in their DB requires that you go in and actively fill out information for the purpose of being found. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-people-on-aim-aol-instant-messenger/260569/6 "2004-08-20T13:57:51Z")
Yeesh. I’ll never understand why people use anything other than icq. ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-people-on-aim-aol-instant-messenger/260569/7 "2004-08-20T14:56:56Z")
Meh. To each his own; but, I’ve always preferred AIM over any other option.