No More Answers from Jeeves
Ask.com is the derivative of the once mildly entertaining Askjeeves.com. There was once a butler who seemed to have infinite knowledge. Those days are now gone. Not only is the butler gone, but soon the answers will be too. While Google has taken over the internet search market, small-time engines like Ask.com pay the price. There is no way for them to compete with such an awesome search engine.
After laying of about 40 employees, Ask.com has announced that it will be heading in a new direction. Discovering the fact that competing with Google requires a lot more than just a fancy butler mascot, Ask has decided to try and narrow its target audience. What used to be a search engine for those who couldn’t help but ask a question is now becoming a life issue search engine for middle-aged stay-at-home mothers. While the switch seems a bit extreme at first, it is too early to determine the outcome of this turn-around.
While Ask.com will be missed as the go-to search engine when Google and Yahoo fell short, hopefully it will come out on top and really provide a service for the women of the world.