Ask.com has shut down, marking the official farewell to the Internet's favorite butler
Source: Engadget
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Ask.com shuts down
Ask.com, the search engine previously known for its butler mascot Jeeves, has officially shut down. While Ask Jeeves was rebranded to Ask.com in 2006 by its then‑owner InterActiveCorp, the latest closure ends the company’s search business entirely.
“As IAC continues to sharpen its focus, we have made the decision to discontinue our search business, which includes Ask.com,” the statement on the website reads. “After 25 years of answering the world’s questions, Ask.com officially closed on May 1, 2026.”
The statement thanked its millions of users and added, “Jeeves’ spirit endures.”
Legacy of Ask Jeeves
Ask Jeeves encouraged users to type full, natural‑language questions—a habit that still influences how some people query Google. Jeeves was built to provide detailed answers in natural language, a concept that can be seen as a precursor to modern AI chatbots like ChatGPT.
The end of an era
With Ask.com gone, the Internet loses another early‑era service alongside:
- AltaVista (shut down in 2013)
- AIM
- AOL dial‑up services (see AOL’s decline)
These closures mark the close of a specific chapter in Internet history.