We lost another real one.
Yesterday, AskJeeves.com (or simply Ask.com) shut down after 25 years.
It first launched on June 3, 1996. It was one of the first “question search” tools.
I regret to inform you that Ask Jeeves is dead. The site closed yesterday. Web 1.0 lost another founder.
Ask Jeeves: 3 June 1996 – 1 May 2026. Send no memes. pic.twitter.com/mlwEOiJkTE
— Pulp Librarian (@PulpLibrarian) May 2, 2026
From 2000-2004 Ask Jeeves graced the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in balloon form. He was also a NASCAR sponsor and in later years helped Seattle residents with place-based public information queries. pic.twitter.com/A9FHntTLxr
— Pulp Librarian (@PulpLibrarian) May 2, 2026
Ask-dot-com shuts down after 25 years 🧠💔
What happened:
• Closed May 1, 2026
• Started as Ask Jeeves (1996)
• One of the first “question search” toolsWhy it matters:
• Pioneered natural language search
• Later relied on Google tech
• Lost relevance in the AI eraThe… pic.twitter.com/Cx4fMiLcys
— Tech Ultimatum (@TechieUltimatum) May 2, 2026
ONTD, did you use Jeeves?