Ask Jeeves Butler Goes Missing!

[MUSCLE13]

What are you guys expecting? Looking forward to it

http://sp.ask.com/docs/mj/default.htm

[seobook]

I think that is most likely a marketing ploy.

I do expect for them to eventually show less ads / format them in a different way, and integrate more of that smartsearch technology stuff

I also think they should offer an optional visual clustering tool (like http://www.touchgraph.com/TGGoogleBrowser.html ) for marketing purposes

[David Wallace]

Hopefully the butler is off updating his "out of date" index. :p

[rustybrick]

Picked up some press http://networks.silicon.com/webwatch/0,39024667,39123954,00.htm

[NFFC]

>What are you guys expecting?

Its all a smokescreen, he is headed to London this Saturday for an SEO party.

Don't tell his boss though.

[Webvisitor]

What are you guys expecting? Looking forward to it

http://sp.ask.com/docs/mj/default.htm

Muscle--I expect to see a re-design of the website. A minimalist presentation like Google but not as stark. Right side sponsored ads should be expected too. A toning down of the red color theme should also be expected.
Just guessing and hopeful.

[sem4u]

David - I am hoping for that too ;)

[Webvisitor]

In honor of your relentless and fruitful search for the butler--->

http://www.ask.co.uk/events/lostjeevespromo/index.htm?char=4&site=Ask%20Muscle
:)

[I, Brian]

Google have kidnapped him and are cloning him for their dastardly deeds. :)
http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=Ask+Jeeves+butler&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search

Meanwhile, Ask are desperately trying to assert their own small but significant market share, in the face of strong publicity this year for Google (IPO), Yahoo! ("new" spider and SERPs) and MSN's new system in beta.

With all that going on, it would be potential marketing suicide to not try and rekindle some attention with their own publicity gimmick.

[MUSCLE13]

In honor of your relentless and fruitful search for the butler--->

http://www.ask.co.uk/events/lostjeevespromo/index.htm?char=4&site=Ask%20Muscle
:)

LOL! Thanks. Still think desktop search is going to change the industry more than personalization but haven't read anything about Tukaroo lately.

[MUSCLE13]

Concerning Tukaroo. Dated info but excellent

http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/3/2004/01/20/story114.html

[AussieWebmaster]

In honor of your relentless and fruitful search for the butler--->

http://www.ask.co.uk/events/lostjeevespromo/index.htm?char=4&site=Ask%20Muscle
:)
That is impressive... congrats muscle

[STrader]

In addition to updated index the butler may come with better algorithm of delivering results and rankings and/or with new smart search features.

From my experience, I do not see any significant improvement in web search since 2003 summer, when all major SEs upgraded their indexes and I cannot find any effect from the later upgrades. (Well, maybe except of some new features such as Smart Search additions or desktop search brought up by Lycos). I believe it is time for something new in search technology and it will probably come from Google Labs or Ask/Teoma, the major innovators in the sector nowadays. We can also expect something interesting from Yahoo/MSN, but less likely, IMHO.

[dannysullivan]

I've split the discussion of Ask Jeeves getting personal features and new local results into these two threads:

Ask Jeeves Adds Personal Search Features (http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=1723)
Ask Gains Citysearch-Powered Local Search (http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=1724)

[rustybrick]

Nice split. I am thinking maybe the butler is missing because we are no longer asking Mr. Jeeves for his advice. Maybe we are asking a bunch of Mr. and Mrs. Jeeves's for their advice based on our personal preferences. :D

[I, Brian]

Ah - The Family Jeeves. What nice wholsome marketing opportunities that could suggest. :)

[MUSCLE13]

Great article Gary

http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3410441

[rustybrick]

So it looks like our Mr. Jeeves got a makeover. Here (http://prn.newscom.com/cgi-bin/pub/s?f=PRN/prnpub&p1=20040921/SFTU045&xtag=PRN-prnphotos-40903&redir=detail&tr=1&row=1) is an article on this topic alone.

http://www.newscom.com/db/PRN/prnphotos/docs/040/903.thm

[AussieWebmaster]

Saw this is SlashDot
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20040921/D85815E00.html

Guess they are telling us about it in a flash file.

[MUSCLE13]

Favorite quote of the day from the AP article -

"Google is not better than us," said Jim Lanzone, an Ask Jeeves senior vice president.

[MUSCLE13]

I disagree with this quote from the article

"The next generation of search isn't going to be about who can build the biggest indexes (of Web pages)," said analyst Charlene Li of Forrester Research. "It's going to about finding better ways to personalize search results and modify the way the results are presented."

My opinion - The next generation of search - Downloadable Desktop search applications that search email, hard drives and the internet. Whichever company does it best wins.

[AussieWebmaster]

That race is well and truely on Muscle... I did not know Jeeves was in the hunt on that level.

[MUSCLE13]

That race is well and truely on Muscle... I did not know Jeeves was in the hunt on that level.

My opinion, Desktop search will be the killer app that the internet has been waiting for the last decade. I think it changes everything. And the field is wide open. Nobody knows who will do it best, but what we do know is that there are only 4 companies right now that own search technology of any scale- Google, Yahoo, Jeeves, and Microsoft still working on their search. My guess is the companies that own the search tech will be the major players in the desktop application game. Just my guess.

Aussie you can get familiar with Jeeves Tukaroo Desktop acquisition here

http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/3/2004/01/20/story114.html