Ask.com

Ask.com (known originally as Ask Jeeves) is an answer engine,<ref name="auto3">Template:Cite web</ref> e-magazine,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and former web search engine, operated by Ask Media Group. It was conceptualized and developed in 1996 by Garrett Gruener and David Warthen, based in Berkeley, California.

The original software was designed and implemented by Gary Chevsky. Warthen, Chevsky and Justin Grant then led the GUI development team, leading to the initial launch under the brand name of AskJeeves.com.

In 2006, the "Jeeves" name was discontinued, and it became the Ask.com web search engine, which had its own webcrawler and algorithm.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>

In late 2010, faced with insurmountable competition from larger search engines, the company outsourced its web search technology, and revived its function as a question and answer site.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Three venture capital companies, Highland Capital Partners, Institutional Venture Partners, and The RODA Group were early investors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ask.com is currently owned and operated by major U.S. media company InterActiveCorp (IAC), which acquired the Ask Media Group in 2005.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

File:Jeeves-in-2009.jpg

3D render of Jeeves

Ask.com was originally known as Ask Jeeves,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> "Jeeves" being the name of a "gentleman's personal gentleman", or valet, fetching answers to any question asked. The character was named after Jeeves, Bertie Wooster's valet in the fictional works of P. G. Wodehouse.<ref name="auto3"/>

The original concept of Ask Jeeves was to allow users to get answers to questions in everyday, natural language, and traditional keyword searching. Throughout its history, Ask was particularly well known for its answer functionality on the topics of mathematics, vocabulary, and unit conversion. Authors also contributed general articles about various other topics, similar to an encyclopedia. As other InterActiveCorp publications were gradually connected with the Ask software, articles on thousands of topics became accessible.

Ask Jeeves was launched as a beta version during mid-April 1997 and was initiated completely on June 1, 1997.<ref name=":0" />

On September 18, 2001, Ask Jeeves acquired Teoma for more than $1.5 million.<ref name=":22">Template:Cite web</ref>

In July 2005, Ask Jeeves was acquired by IAC.<ref name=":1"/><ref name=":3"/>

In February 2006, the name "Jeeves" was dropped from Ask Jeeves, and the search engine renamed Ask.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" />

On May 16, 2006, Ask implemented a "Binoculars Site Preview" into its search results. On search results pages, the "binoculars" let searchers have a preview of the page they could visit with a mouse-over activating a pop-up screenshot.

On June 5, 2007, Ask.com was redesigned with a 3D appearance.<ref>Major Relaunch For Ask: Ask3D, Techcrunch, June 4, 2007. Retrieved June 5, 2007.</ref>

In December 2007, Ask released the AskEraser feature,<ref>Ask.com Takes the Lead on Log Retention; Microsoft and Yahoo! Follow, eff.org. Retrieved January 3, 2008.</ref> allowing users to opt-out from tracking of search queries and IP and cookie values. They also announced they would erase this data after 18 months if the AskEraser option was not set. HTTP cookies must be enabled for AskEraser to function.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Ask with wikipedia.png

An Ask.com search of Wikipedia, 2016

On July 4, 2008, Ask acquired Lexico Publishing Group, which owns Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com, and Reference.com.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In August 2008, Ask initiated the Ask Kids search engine designed for children.<ref name=":3" />

In April 2009, for the UK version of Ask.com, Jeeves was redesigned as a CGI character and the website was named once again Ask Jeeves, though international versions were still just Ask.com.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His image remained on the UK website until July 21, 2016, though the Ask Jeeves name would continue to be used until September 21, 2016, when the website was renamed Ask.

On July 26, 2010, Ask.com released a closed-beta Q&A service. The service was released to the public on July 29, 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ask.com initiated its mobile Q&A application for the iPhone during late 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Ask.com reached 100 million global users per month in 2012<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> through its website with more than 2 million downloads of its flagship mobile app in that year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The company has also released additional applications developed from its Q&A experience, including Ask Around<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in 2011 and PollRoll<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in 2012.

Search crawler shut-down

In 2010, Ask.com shuttered its in-house web search engine service, which was replaced by a new Ask search engine created by third-party developer.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite news</ref>

The restructuring programme included the termination of all development on the Ask.com webcrawler, the outsourcing of most web search operations, and the loss of 130 search engineering jobs. The company cited market headwinds and intense competition from larger rivals, such as Google and Yahoo.<ref name="auto"/>

Earlier in the year, Ask had initiated a Q&A community for generating answers from real people as opposed to search algorithms. This new service was then combined with the existing question-and–answer repository, which included an extensive archive of query data. The new database and answer engine improved on the original capabilities of the AskJeeves Q&A functions, generating many more answers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ask Sponsored Listings

Ask Sponsored Listings, formerly the direct-sales division for Ask.com, is no longer available, having merged with Sendori, an operating business of IAC, in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Corporate details

Ask.com headquarters in Oakland, California (photographed in 2006).

The Ask Media Group corporate headquarters is located in downtown Oakland, California, based at the 555 City Center building within the Oakland City Center precinct.

Ask Jeeves, Inc. stock traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange from July 1999 to July 2005, using the ticker symbol ASKJ. In July 2005, the ASKJ ticker was retired upon the acquisition by IAC, valued at US$1.85 billion.

The current Ask Media Group president, Douglas Leeds became CEO in 2010.<ref name="IAC Management Bios">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2012, Ask.com made two acquisitions as part of a larger strategy to offer more content on the Ask.com website. On July 2, 2012, Ask.com purchased content discovery start-up<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> nRelate for an undisclosed amount. That was followed by the company's acquisition of expert advice and information site About.com, which closed in September 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On August 14, 2014, Ask.com acquired popular social networking website Ask.fm, where users can ask other users questions, with the option of anonymity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of August 14, 2014, Ask.fm had 180 million monthly unique users in more than 150 countries,<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> with its largest user base in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Available on the web and as a mobile app, Ask.fm generates an estimated 20,000 questions per minute with approximately 45 percent of its mobile monthly active users logging in daily.<ref name="Techcrunch">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:As of, the mobile app has been downloaded more than 40 million times.<ref name="Techcrunch"/>

In 2021, Ask re-initiated its function SymptomFind<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and introduced the new finance-based site Ask Money.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Marketing and promotion

From November 1999, in some areas Ask Jeeves advertised on produce stickers on apples, oranges and bananas. Questions such as "How many calories in a banana?" were printed alongside the Ask Jeeves web address.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="tampa-bay-times">Template:Cite web</ref>

A Jeeves balloon and a float appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade during 2000–2004.<ref name="tampa-bay-times"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Apostolos Gerasoulis, the co-creator of Ask's Teoma algorithmic search technology, featured in four television advertisements in 2007, extolling the virtues of Ask.com's usefulness for information relevance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

After a hiatus from mass consumer marketing, Ask reinstated its website's format to emphasize questions and answers, and resumed advertising by television during the autumn of 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Instead of national advertising, Ask emphasized local markets. During the summer of 2012, initiated a national cinema campaign,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> along with other out-of-home tactics in certain markets such as New York and Seattle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As part of a Seattle-based local market effort, Ask.com initiated its campaign "You Asked We Answered"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> during 2012, in which the company "answered" residents' main complaints about living in their city, including easing morning commutes and stadium traffic, as well as keeping the local Parks and Recreation department's wading pools open.

On January 14, 2009, Ask.com became the official sponsor of 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Bobby Labonte's No. 96 Ford. Ask would become the official search engine of NASCAR.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ask.com was the primary sponsor for the No. 96 for 18 of the first 21 races and had rights to increase this to a total of 29 races that season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Ask.com car debuted in the 2009 Bud Shootout where it failed to finish the race, but subsequently returned strongly, placing as high as 5th in a March 1, 2009, Shelby 427 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ask.com's foray into NASCAR represented the first instance of its venture into what it terms "Super Verticals".<ref>Template:Cite web </ref>

See also

• Comparison of search engines
• List of search engines
• List of search engines by popularity

External links

• Template:Official website