Ask Jeeves for Kids

History

Ask Jeeves was created in the 1990s as a user-friendly search engine served by a butler named Jeeves. With an intuitive interface that required users to simply ask their questions, it seemed that Ask Jeeves would be a desirable site to visit when seeking information. However, other search engines began to lead the pack in terms of indexing Web pages and technology, and Ask Jeeves began to revisit how their site operated.

With some retooling, including renaming the search engine Ask.com, it seemed poised to make a mark once again in the world of search engines. One of the ways that Ask.com repositioned itself was by using the name change as a reason to actively advertise their site. With a clever ad campaign, Ask.com was able to build awareness once again about the site’s capabilities. One of their specialty areas is Ask Jeeves for Kids, a search engine designed specifically for the needs of kids.

Ask Jeeves for Kids

Ask Jeeves for Kids was created as a kid-friendly online research tool, following the same model as the original Ask Jeeves. The fun interface is appealing to kids and uses “natural language technology,” where children can easily search for answers to their questions. Backed by human editors who ensure age-appropriate content and filtering, kids are able to easily find the information they need. While the site is mainly educational in nature, including resources to help kids with school work and class projects, there are also easy links to fun online activities.

News Resources and Fun & Games

In addition to the search box where kids can enter their request, there are also links for News Resources and Fun & Games. Links to kid-centric news sites and fun activities make the site extremely kid-friendly.

News Resources:

• Scholastic News Zone
• BBC for Kids
• National Geographic for Kids
• Yak's Corner
• Kids News Room
• Weekly Reader
• TIME for Kids
• Yahooligans News
• Student Connections
• CNN Student News
• Channel One

Fun & Games:

• Connect the Dots
• Word Puzzle
• Checkers
• Chess
• Painting
• Spelling Game
• Concentration
• Fun With Words Game
• And more!

Easy Access to Topics

The main Ask for Kids page allows kids to either enter their question in the search box or select a topic from the stack of books on the right side of the page. Kids can choose:

• Dictionary
• Thesaurus
• Almanac
• Biography
• Science
• Clip Art
• Astronomy
• World Atlas
• Math Help
• History

Editor Intervention

Ask for Kids has editors that carefully select the Web sites that are included in possible search engine results. Relevant content and the safety of children are foremost in the selection, providing for the security of the kids who use the engine. By verifying the content on the search results page and the sites that are linked to from the results, parents and kids can be assured that nothing objectionable will be displayed or linked to. Ask Jeeves for Kids (Ask for Kids) has editors to maintain this safety, but parents should be aware that with constant changes online, there is always a possibility that something inappropriate can slip through.

Parent Friendly

With the growth of the Internet, parents have had to pay close attention to the potentially unsuitable material their children can be exposed to. Kids searching for information on a general search engine are likely to get results that contain porn, violence, drugs and other unacceptable topics for children. Ask Jeeves for Kids (Ask for Kids) filters any inappropriate sites from their search results, so parents can be assured that their kids are protected from clicking a link to unsuitable subject matter.