From the archivist
It started with a game that needed a few authentic AIM icons. Then I had 1,000. Then 10,000. At some point, I had a buddy icon problem.
Read how this happenedYou made it this far
You have scrolled past 1,024 buddy icons, so I have some suspicions. My blog is where the other shiny digressions end up.
Subscribe to Shedletsky.comA language of tiny pictures
A picture barely 50 pixels wide, sitting beside an AIM screen name, could announce a mood, a fandom, an inside joke, or who someone wanted to be that day.
Read the short historyRecovered from the early web
Buddy icons survive in old directories, fan sites, downloadable packs, and web archives. The archive preserves the original files, groups known copies, and records where each one was found.
How the archive worksStarburst Icon icons are text-first graphics where a starburst motif becomes the main decorative accent around short phrases or names. The bright burst shape and heart marks often sit in contrast bands, making the icon feel like a compact reaction panel.
![Four identical blue square with pink text 'Hayley Schindler :]' and a smiley face, each has distinct corner decorations](/image/11b4bf2a602ac9fc60b2f9c2665a73d47fd539396e3d15517a9f1fd4a16088d1){kind=small}
![Red square icon with black text reading 'friends are forever apart or together =]' and a white border, featuring animated heart and star symbols in the bottom-right corner.](/image/6225ecbb1ce5c55b8fca5735b4c189af32eb67cd76875c222c4a9f88528447cf){kind=small}
