If you have a TV and actually watch it, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Ask.com’s new commercial, depicting users of other search engines … ah, who are they kidding? Users of Google, as primitive, ape-like beings. “Hey knucklehead Google user, switch to Ask.com (especially now since the quirky Jeeves guy is gone).”
The problem is Google has owned the “smart-people search engine” position in the marketplace for, oh since its birth. As a result, I believe Ask is throwing good money down the drain. Instead of finding a uniqueness, a chink in Google’s armor, they’re trying to out-Google Google. Guess what? Ain’t happenin’.
For example, they could have taken a lead as the vertical search engine, especially since all their vertical search solutions are now prominently placed on their homepage. Oh well.
Funny sidenote: I found a copy of the commercial via Google after failed attempts on Ask.
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March 26th, 2006 at 8:11 am
well….. if Steve can do the same for IAC (ask etc) as he did for IDG (dummies books etc) then they potentially could be a player….. i already miss jeeves; can u say comeback appearance?
lol,
~jer
March 30th, 2006 at 10:58 am
I didn’t really take it as a shot at Google per say, just a shot at all search engines. Remember, Yahoo! and MSN have searches too! :)
I kind of like ask.com. They do have some very impressive technology.