Another web relic from years gone by is about to bite the dust.

AOL is telling users of Instant Messenger (AIM) that it will be discontinued in mid-December.

AIM was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but started to fall by the wayside as other services like Facebook, Twitter and GMail came into play.

Users started seeing the following message Thursday: "After December 15, you will no longer have access to AIM and your data will be deleted. If you use an @aim.com email address, your email account will not be affected and you will still be able to send and receive email as usual."

AOL Instant Messenger at one time had the largest share of the instant messaging market in North America, topping competitors like Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger.

"AIM will always have a special place in our hearts. As we move forward, all of us at AOL (now Oath) are excited to continue building the next generation of iconic brands and life-changing products for users around the world," the statement said.