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1) Ask.com has phone listings on web results pages
http://www.ask.com/web?q=phone+listings+for+steve+ smith+San+Francisco+&qsrc=1&o=0

2) Ask.com has news searches
http://news.ask.com/
Localized by Zip

3) Ask.com offers search by domain
site:

4) Ask.com has image searches. In fact, the image dbase was just
revamped and highly lauded.
http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php /3580061

5) Ask.com maps are amazing. Move the location pointer to a new location and watch the location change.
Ask.com offers walking and driving directions. ften different especially in large cities
Add intermediate stops. Click the green button and watch the directions animated. Btw, the quality of the aerial imagery is awesome. Read the maps help page for more features.

6) In terms of music, Ask.com Smart Answers are amazing and helpful.
http://www.ask.com/web?q=aerosmith&qsrc=0&o=312

1) Ask.com has phone listings on web results pages
http://www.ask.com/web?q=phone+listings+for+steve+ smith+San+Francisco+&qsrc=1&o=0

2) Ask.com has news searches
http://news.ask.com/
Localized by Zip

3) Ask.com offers search by domain
site:

4) Ask.com has image searches. In fact, the image dbase was just
revamped and highly lauded.
http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php /3580061

5) Ask.com maps are amazing. Move the location pointer to a new location and watch the location change.
Ask.com offers walking and driving directions. ften different especially in large cities
Add intermediate stops. Click the green button and watch the directions animated. Btw, the quality of the aerial imagery is awesome. Read the maps help page for more features.

6) In terms of music, Ask.com Smart Answers are amazing and helpful.
http://www.ask.com/web?q=aerosmith&qsrc=0&o=312

1) Ask.com has phone listings on web results pages
http://www.ask.com/web?q=phone+listings+for+steve+ smith+San+Francisco+&qsrc=1&o=0

2) Ask.com has news searches
http://news.ask.com/
Localized by Zip

3) Ask.com offers search by domain
site:

4) Ask.com has image searches. In fact, the image dbase was just
revamped and highly lauded.
http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php /3580061

5) Ask.com maps are amazing. Move the location pointer to a new location and watch the location change.
Ask.com offers walking and driving directions. ften different especially in large cities
Add intermediate stops. Click the green button and watch the directions animated. Btw, the quality of the aerial imagery is awesome. Read the maps help page for more features.

6) In terms of music, Ask.com Smart Answers are amazing and helpful.
http://www.ask.com/web?q=aerosmith&qsrc=0&o=312

Additionally, ask's satellite imagery is of a much higher resolution than google maps, at least for my area. For Gainesville, FL on google maps you're lucky to pick out the football stadium on the University of Florida campus. On ask.com, you can count how many people are standing on the field.

Ask actually correctly places Playa Vista (a relatively new neighborhood in Los Angeles), whereas on Google simply points at downtown LA.

This search turns up three ads at the top before any actual search results. So what's the problem with Ask doing this, exactly?

If you run the same search on ask.com, you get three ads at the top, like google...and five more at the bottom between the last search result and the "next page(s)" button row.

I like the new layout, but the extra ads are a bit egregious, and the separation of the last non-paid result from the page controls irritates the shit out of me. It gives that same "real results squeezed between a sea of ads" feeling that turned me off pretty much all of the non-Google engines.

Try searching for "Fourier Transform"

On Google

On Ask

I don't know about you, but I found Ask's search more helpful than Google's simple redirection to Mathworld and Wikipedia.

All I can say is blech.

A simple search for "linux" and I have to scroll down just about a full page at 1024x768 to get to the actual results set below the "Encyclopedia Entry" (from wikipedia), 3 "Sponsored Results" (first being from Microsoft, of course), and "Latest News" (first being from ZDnet).

I just don't find a sponsored link from Microsoft or Linux "news" from friggen ZDnet to be particularly relevant to a search for "linux". The Wikipedia entry is at least a bit interesting... but it's not part of the 'search results'.

When I go to a search engine, I want results, not extraneous bullshit.
I'll take google's sole "Sponsored Link" at the top any day.

Furthermore, it seems that Ask's satellite data in some areas is much better than that of the competition. This is the first I'm able to explore my hometown in high-res, living color.

I think they're taking search pretty seriously and have made some interesting improvements recently.

I particularly enjoyed this Ask.com blog entry.

I found the ask.com cover story for Jeeves disappearance. I'm not buying it!

http://sp.ask.com/en/docs/about/jeeveshasretired.h tml

http://blog.ask.com/2006/02/thanks_jeeves.html

I found the ask.com cover story for Jeeves disappearance. I'm not buying it!

http://sp.ask.com/en/docs/about/jeeveshasretired.h tml

http://blog.ask.com/2006/02/thanks_jeeves.html

Well, this morning someone mailed one of the tech lists I am on and said his Pine under Windows XP could not send email through Qwest's SMTP servers. I figured it had to do with SPA so I went to Google to see if PIne supported SPA. Here are the results I got. Then I got bored and moved to Slashdot and read this story. I brought up Ask.com and decided to try my search there. Here are the results I got there. Results look comparable as the answers were within the first two (non-ad-sponsored) results.

I took a look at TFA. Is it me or they don't discuss this new important feature: Ask.com Maps & Directions.

I know it's not hard to type, but when doing an article about Ask.com, it helps to provide a link to Ask.com.

Oh, and it's nice. Unfortunately, I use Google because I like the results it provides. Can Ask.com compete with that, or is it just a nice look?

I know it's not hard to type, but when doing an article about Ask.com, it helps to provide a link to Ask.com.

Oh, and it's nice. Unfortunately, I use Google because I like the results it provides. Can Ask.com compete with that, or is it just a nice look?

I want them to bring back GoogleX

Originaly over at Google Labs GoogleX page it got mirrored over at Tech Info Blog who has it in all its glory.

I want to see that one put into place. New changes are rather ... Um ... new.

Next they need to add Thumbnails. Besides they have the power to take a pretty little picture. Heavily optomize it. Have a cookie setting to turn it off and they will be instantly accused of copying of copying ASK.com.

Considering that the interface hasn't changed in a long time this might be fun.

• Google recommends: Altavista
• MSN recommends: Search.com
• Yahoo recommends: Yahoo
• Ask.com recommends: Ask.com
• Altavista recommends: Search.com
• Search.com recommends: Dogpile
• Dogpile recommends: Lycos
• Lycos recommends: Ask.com

Nobody at all recommends Google. More proof that Google search is not as good.

What about Ask.com's map system? Its fantastic - I did a review on it - superior to Google

The article seemed all over the place - in dealing both with google earth and google maps. In any case, I just tried maps.ask.com today and it seems pretty good - it does both walking and driving directions with the satellite and scrolling shenanigans that everyone else uses. It also lets you plot out routes with up to 10 destinations. It's at least worth a try.

AJ has a new map section that hasn't seen much coverage yet.

http://maps.ask.com/maps

After posting the above I went to Teoma to look at their privacy statement more closely. I found the following below. Seems a bit obscure but it kinda of reads as though they do log individual user searches (and IP numbers?). If someone can clarify, please do. For full details of their privacy policy go to http://static.wc.ask.com/docs/teoma/about/privacy_ policy.html

What information does Ask Jeeves gather/track and how is it used?

Information gathered online can generally be categorized as either anonymous or personally identifiable. Anonymous information is information that cannot be traced back to a specific individual. For example, Ask Jeeves knows how many questions are asked each day at each of its Web sites but does not know the names, e-mail addresses or gender of the people asking the questions.

Personally identifiable information is information you provide that lets us know specific facts about you so that we can customize the information Ask Jeeves delivers to you accordingly. This information can include your name, address, zip code, age, etc. It is our belief that you will find it beneficial to provide us with personal information so that your experience with Ask Jeeves is more satisfying.

Gathering and Use of Anonymous Information

Each time a visitor comes to an Ask Jeeves Web site, we collect some information to improve the overall quality of the online experience, including product monitoring, product improvement, and targeted advertising. At the Ask Jeeves Web sites, we collect the visitor's domain name (e.g. whether the user is logged on from compaq.com or whitehouse.gov), referral data (e.g., we record the address of the last URL a user visited prior to clicking through to an Ask Jeeves Web site), and browser and platform type (e.g., a Netscape browser on a Macintosh platform).

In addition to collecting these types of information, Ask Jeeves collects aggregate queries for internal reporting and targeted advertising. We also count, track, and aggregate the visitor's activity into our analysis of general traffic flows at our sites (e.g. tracking where traffic comes from, how traffic flows within the Ask Jeeves properties, etc.). To these ends, we may merge information about you into group data, which may then be shared on an aggregated basis with our advertisers; but Ask Jeeves will not disclose your individual identity or personal data without your permission. When Ask Jeeves does present aggregated information to outside companies, no one will be able to identify or contact you.

Use Of Ask Jeeves Cookies

This was something I expected from Microsoft, but I am hugely disappointed in Google for selling out like this. Choosing to kowtow to an authoritarian regime and violating the Constitution of their own country.

Once again, we have a clear demonstration of what happens when an MBA is put at the helm of a company. Morals and ethics go out the window in favor of the bottom line and making sure his severance contract is as fat as possible.

The more I read that article, the more I feel sick to my stomach! I would rather accept a lower profit for my company than betray the hundreds of thousands of my fellow Americans who gave their lives in various wars to defend my right to the Freedom of Speech.

And what about the many people in other countries, including those in China, who gave everything they could to gain that basic right? It wasn't just those individuals who suffered, it was their families as well who were also punished in order to set an example for others.

Hey Google? What's next? Are you going to make a contribution to Sadam's Gas the Kurds! Defense Fund in Iraq? Or how about a little for the Tienanman Square Memorial- Oh, wait! There isn't one. Guess you're safe on that score.

Is Ask Jeeves still clean? Or does anyone else know of a decent search engine we can use in place of Googlesoft? Is it really possible today to boycott Google? I for one just changed my default search engine selection away from Google.

Thanks, Google for totally destroying my faith in you. And thanks for betraying your countrymen and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights of the United States. Take a good look at Article 1 of the Bill of Rights- Oh, that's right! You're not allowed to read that any more unless you get permission from the Chinese government, eh?

What ever happened to "Do No Evil?" I guess you have to change that a little to "Do No Evil to the Highest Bidder!"

Teoma, is owned by Ask Jeeves and both search engines use the same technology.

Google doesn't know, but Ask.com looks like they've got some ideas...

http://web.ask.com/web?q=where+are+my+car+keys%3F& qsrc=0&o=0

http://blog.ask.com/2005/09/we_the_bloggers.html Ask Jeeves & Bloglines Responce

That's why the good folks at Ask Jeeves created the Jeeves 90000 (beta).

Ask Jeeves Desktop Search is not a "Toolbar", its an entire indexing and seach engine.

http://sp.ask.com/docs/desktop/index.html

It allows you to instantly find anything on your PC. It also has a very useful feature Google, Yahoo, Copernic do not have. Application Integration. Click "attach" in your favorite email program and search for your file with AJDS, one click and your file is attached.

Its the power of instant desktop search integrated into every application on the desktop.

I thought the oldest profession was gardening?

Nah, I asked Jeeves and he couldn't find anything about gardening. He said he was pretty sure hunter gatherers were well practiced in the oldest profession before anyone cultivated land.

The whole thing, once laminated in plastic, is just a millimeter thick, and 6cm by 3cm in size...0.2 millilitres of urine the battery will provide around 1.5 volts, with a maximum power output of 1.5 milli-Watts

So, let's get some facts...Jeeves says that normal humans feel the need to urinate when they hold 150 - 200mL of urine in their bladder. 200mL sounds decent for this math.

200mL / 0.2mL per battery = 1000 batteries that can be charged on a normal fill of urine.

1000 batteries * 1.5 mW per battery = 1.5 W
1000 batteries * 1.5 V per battery = 1500 V
1.5W / 1500V = .001 Amps = 1mA

So, my own piss only has as much power as a spark of static electricity. Sorry folks, but it's going to take more than one run to the toilet to power your laptop.

Ask Jeeves has had this for a year or so...

More... I can see this being really popular in Japan.

Next we'll be having /. stories covering the /. stories about the /. stories about the /. stories...

A good point, though, is that since the rise of Google, most of the other search engines have de-cluttered their search pages, removing almost everything from them.

There's plenty of other people doing search history. My Yahoo Search, My Ask Jeeves, and Findory, to name a few.

[Disclaimer: I work at Findory]

It's not just A9. My Yahoo Search, My Ask Jeeves, Findory, and A9 all have had this feature for a while.

[Disclaimer: I work at Findory]

...then Brain Boost really scored. I was thinking of some question to try it out, and (based on what's playing on BBC 6music right now -- Friday's funk show) I came up with this question, not really realizing how tricky it is:

Who wrote Sex Machine?

This is what I got: a result pointing to an article saying that William "Bootsy" Collins (of Funkadelic fame) co-wrote the James Brown song.

Compare the results from Google and Ask Jeeves.

Now all I need is to configure a bb: shortcut in Konqueror's Enhanced Browsing dialog...

I remember the easter egg they had a while ago on the question "Is Jeeves gay?" Looks like its still there.

Asking Jeeves what he's worth gives a top answer of " ...ain't worth crap "

Congratulations. Your post asking "why does Ask Jeeves suck so hard" is now the number one result for "why does Ask Jeeves suck so hard?"

"why does Ask Jeeves suck so hard"

Be sure to be drinking or holding a bottle of Google Gulp when they take the picture.

Isn't April Fools Day just the best? =] For a 'full' list of sites pulling pranks today check out this list here

Here is a sample:

kellyosbourne.org - Sanctuary records group shut us down
nukefreezone.net - Making fun of atrios.blogspot.com
weebl.jolt.co.uk - Replaced with Cats-By-Mail
telecom.co.nz - Click 2 Brick
ytmnd.com - (NSFW) hacked by teens for christ
wingus.ampedhost.com - Site converted into Mingus' Gently-Used Furniture store. Oh dear. Why won't he be kind?
homestarrunner.com - Now a pay service.
whirlpool.net.au - Australia's biggest Luddite to head Australia's largest telco
thinkgeek.com - Fake product listings.
theregister.co.uk - Bush twins to join Air Force tech unit in Iraq
creativebits.org - Site purchased by Microsoft
ocremix.org - Now partnered with EA (or something like that). Called EA ReMix.
spacedaily.com - Bush Cancels Space Shuttle Program
planet.gnome.org - Switched sites with planet.kde.org
planet.kde.org - Switched sites with planet.gnome.org
ietf.org - RFC: Efficient Transformation Formats of Unicode
beejaysworld.de - Gentoo dropping livecds for x86
nature.com - Apollo bacteria spur lunar erosion
antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov - Water On Mars
smh.com.au - (Free Reg Req) SMEGmail offers 1 terabyte storage
smh.com.au - (Free Reg Req) Linux looks to Hilton for exposure
thetoque.com - Canada Builds Own Missile Defense Shield
onion.com - U.S. Dog Owners Fear Arrival of Africanized Fleas
chron.com - Bush Twins in Maxim
ask.com - Jeeves has been replaced by a robot
animenewsnetwork.com - Viz Unlicenses Naruto
uninventthewheel.co.uk - New BMW technology to get around the EU ban on right hand drive cars in Europe.
newgrounds.com - changing to numagrounds.com
neopets.com - neopets adds 50 new pets
www.firstloox.org - The Loox is being recalled
packages.gentoo.org - Adobe doesn't sell products for Linux
pc.ign.com - Microsoft World of Wordcraft (Extremely Obvious)
spamusement.com - Page full of spoof banner ads
gentooexperimental.org - Gentoo using the NT kernel
moddb.com

http://blog.ask.com/ Ask Jeeves is playing around.. Time for bed

Four out of top four contains the answer as far as i can tell. Six out of top six, even.

http://web.ask.com/web?q=why+are+flamingos+pink&qs rc=0&o=0

Apparently Ask Jeeves reccommends MSN search.

is that if you can't find what you're looking for with one engine, try another. I don't see what's so hard about that. Any synthetic benchmark will be just that. It's not like you have to change your voter registration to another party in order to vote in a primary -- you put in another URL!

To help you out, I'll even get you started with a few clickable links...

Yahoo Search
MSN Search
Ask Jeeves

Hope that helps. Good luck.

alltheweb is Yahoo in disguise.
Besides Google/Yahoo/MSN there's pretty much only ask.com.

Answer to "Is Jeeves gay?" http://sp.ask.com/docs/about/isjeevesgay.html

I liked the old answer that used to go to a fake 404 error page. "Error 404, none of your business"

And yes, I know that search is immature. But I was hoping for the fake error message page to still be around.

. . . get the answer here.

He's gay

gay

Ask Jeeves what he's worth and you get this article from 2000.