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Ask Jeeves a Question

You should Ask Jeeves a question when looking for a straightforward answer to a straightforward question.

To ask Jeeves a question, type your question into the search box on the ask Jeeves a question main page.

Kids can ask Jeeves a question as if talking to a teacher or family member. Example questions to ask Jeeves for Kids:

Unlike Ask Jeeves a question, other search engines (like Google) prefer terse search queries:

But terse queries are more likely be ambiguous than the questions you put to Ask Jeeves a question. Imagine shouting "inches yards!" at a friends. After questioning your sanity, they might think you were asking:

... rather than, "How many inches are there in a yard?"

So the Ask Jeeves a question approach is more specific. You could try the Ask Jeeves a question approach in other search engines. But the results may not be as good, because the other search engine is not as likely to be optimised for questions.

Who is Jeeves? Why ask Jeeves a question?

Jeeves is the finest creation of English author P.G. Wodehouse, the butler famous for getting his "nice but dim" employer, Bertie Wooster, out of an endless series of scrapes and sticky situations. Bertie knew the way to get an answer to any of his problems was to ask Jeeves a question.

Ask Jeeves a question forever!

On 27 February 2006 the Ask Jeeves a question imagery was removed from Ask.com. Rumours suggested that the management felt threatened by the superior intelligence and savoir faire of Jeeves. They were heard to proclaim, "He's only a butler but he acts as if he own the place!" They did not have the modesty and confidence of Bertie Wooster, who never felt threatened by the vastly superior wisdom and of Jeeves. They did not realise that his justifiably confident and superior attitude did not reflect overweening ambition or self-seeking, but was used purely in the fulfilment of his duties to his employers and his friends.

Throughout his period of exile, Jeeves remained the defining intelligence at Ask.com, working his magic surreptitiously from the gamekeeper's lodge. Friends of Ask were forever asking the question, "Where's Jeeves?" They missed his friendly, beaming countenance, and his never ending dedication to satisfying their every need.

Ask, being a sensible company, realised their mistake and quickly brought Jeeves back to run their organisation. From now on, hopefully, adults and kids can Ask Jeeves a question forever!

Ask Jeeves for Kids

Ask Jeeves for Kids search is, of course, the most important of the provisions that Jeeves makes available to kids. But Ask Jeeves for Kids includes many other homework and study tools. For example:

Ask Jeeves for kids also has many quirky fun areas, like classic games, video games, and crazy words. It is well worth exploring, even if you are an adult!

Ask Jeeves a question for adults

The interface to Ask Jeeves a question for adults isn't as much fun as Ask Jeeves for kids. All said and done, it's mostly just a search box. However, it does offers some interesting links to specialised searches for videos, images, and frequently asked questions.

Jeeves also has a presence on facebook and twitter, which can be accessed from the search page. 

Because Ask shows frequently asked questions this means that your privacy is not guaranteed. If you ask Jeeves a question he might tell others what question you have asked. At first sight, this seems like a most unseemly activity for a dedicated butler. 

But Jeeves thinks it important that society should keep up to date with what the great and the good are talking about. How would Bertie Wooster cope without Jeeves' summary of the latest happenings in high society? It's a predicament for Jeeves. How can he keep open the free-flowing channels of socially lubricating chat without revealing matters that people he respects, and who respect him, might prefer closed. 

Getting down to rough practicalities, for a moment,  Jeeves informs me that  there is an AskEraser link on the search page which allows a searcher to erase their search record. So everyone is happy, the gossip still gets around, but only the gossip that the gossipers want to get around.

Ask Jeeves a question, and more

Jeeves has been trying to do too much recently, and has curtailed some of his professional activities, including:

Other activities are still ongoing, those that don't require much effort from the estimable butler. These include:

All in all, for a cultured and comprehensive search experience, you could do worse than Ask Jeeves a Question.

Ask Jeeves a question - news

2 Jun 2012 Ask Jeeves launches its ‘Question of the Day’ iOS app for UK trivia fans.

29 Oct 2010 Ask Jeeves live forum - talk to celebrities on Facebook.

24 Oct 2010 Ask Jeeves an unanswerable question  Ask Jeeves launched in the UK a decade ago. To celebrate his birthday Jeeves is now asking everyone to help answer the top 10 questions that he just could not answer. My unanswerable question would be: "How come Jeeves looks so when he was born only ten years ago?" I shan't be asking Jeeves this question though, he has taught me the value of discretion, and you don't ask old folk questions about age, even those as unflappable as Jeeves!

©321books Paul Grieg