Ask Jeeves was an icon of the 90s.
People are only just now learning why Ask Jeeves doesn’t exist anymore.
The iconic 90s search engine came about just as internet was sweeping the UK.
The first search engine was launched in 1990 and was named Archie, and then came along Ask Jeeves.
Before Google, Bing, or even ChatGPT, Ask Jeeves was launched in 1997 by California entrepreneurs Garrett Gruener and David Warthen.
The engine was accompanied by an animated man in a black pinstriped suit.
Ask Jeeves homepage prompted: “Have a question? Just type it in and click Ask!”
Reports by The Atlantic even claim that the search engine was handling more than 1 million queries a day.
Old users of the engine took to Reddit, asking: “What ever happened to just ask Jeeves?”
A deep-dive was done, and it turns out in 2006 Ask Jeeves was rebranded to Ask.com, which is still alive and well!
Speaking to The Atlantic, the engine’s co-creator Garrett Gruener revealed how Google’s rise is what led to Ask Jeeves demise.
“None of us were very concerned about monetization in the beginning.
“Everyone in search early on realized, if you got this right, you’d essentially be in the position of being the oracle,” he added.
“If you could be the company to go to in order to ask questions online, you’re going to be paid handsomely.”
Gruener isn’t bitter about Google’s success, saying: “If anything, I’m really proud of our Jeeves.
“I find this future fascinating and, if I’m honest, a little validating. It’s like, ultimately, as the tech has come around, the big guys have come around to what we were trying to do.”
