RIP, Jeeves
Jeeves has disappeared.� AskJeeves.com is now just Ask.com, and is hoping to rebrand itself as a serious search contender in the crowded search space dominated by google.com.� � From the ask.com web site:
Where’s Jeeves?
After ten years of dutifully serving a growing population of internet users, Jeeves decided to step down as the face of AskJeeves.com, and retire in style. Jeeves symbolized a traditional, at-your-service butler which made people feel comfortable and at home with asking any type of question.
As the web became more of a real-time utility for people, Jeeves’ job dramatically changed. Users came to Ask Jeeves for more sophisticated searches. Searches that were informational, navigational, and ultimately, transactional. Ask.com users wanted a search engine to help them search, get and do whatever they needed — at a moment’s notice.
This drove us to focus on improving our robust search engine technology and give users the Web’s most useful set of tools, and gave Jeeves the opportunity to relax. Today, as Ask.com we are singularly focused on helping users find what they need through the complicated, exciting, ever-changing web. No matter what the search, Ask.com is committed to meeting the search challenge.
That’s the official story, at least.� We worry that� Jeeves may have met with foul play.� Who’s behind this dastardly deed?� We don’t know, but for once we can say with certainty that the butler didn’t do it.
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