One of the longest-enduring characters on the internet, the business-suited mascot for Ask Jeeves, and its associated search engine Ask.com, are no more. On May 1, the service's owner, IAC, discontinued the brand and posted a goodbye on the Ask website  to the millions who remember its dot-com-era rise. The service went live in June 1997, but was  rebranded from Ask Jeeves to Ask.com  in 2006 after IAC acquired it. "As IAC continues to sharpen its focus, we have made the decision to discontinue our search business, which includes Ask.com," the website reads. "After 25 years of answering the world's questions, Ask.com officially closed on May 1, 2026." The web page copy concludes, "Jeeves' spirit endures." For years, the Jeeves character was portrayed by dozens of actors at trade shows, as a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade character  multiple years, and even appeared in Super Bowl commercials in 1999.…