The official discontinuation of Ask.com, formerly Ask Jeeves marks the end of one of the internet’s earliest search engines.

Launched in 1996, a year before Google, the platform was among the first search engines, inviting users to ask questions to its well-known mascot, a butler named Jeeves.

The Jeeves name and mascot were officially dropped in 2006, which was a rebranding to modernize the site.

WJPS teacher Ms. Bonanni said, “I feel sad yet very nostalgic, I grew up in a time before Google so I am familiar with the search engine. I’m sure they were the foundation for things like Chat GBT that we have today so I feel glad of the legacy they will leave behind.”

Parent company IAC decided to shut down the service as part of a strategic refocusing, leaving a farewell message on the site that thanked its millions of users and concluded with a final nod to its legacy: “Jeeves’ spirit endures.”

WJPS teacher Ms. Marks said, “I honestly forgot that it existed, I did use it when it first came out, I moved on to other websites and search engines later.”