Barry Diller reportedly said to a group of media executives that he plans to ditch the Ask Jeeves name from the fourth-place search engine. He indicated that the new acquisition would be infused with marketing and development cash, but that the butler might not survive the company's integration - even as new search-enhancement features were being announced today.

One reason cited by some sites covering the search engine industry is the perception, particularly in Europe, that the mascot represents merely "a gay butler" rather than an information servant.

Diller indicated that his IAC is unsure whether to drop the "Ask" or the "Jeeves" from the name, but most search watchers on the web have their money on the "Ask" surviving - given the presumed rationale.

In the meantime, Jeeves is going about his business, serving up new enhancements that help searchers focus queries and get direct answers to questions, writes Search Engine Watch. The query-refinement enhancement, called Focus, expands the "related topics" search suggestions. Web Answers provides direct answers to queries posed as natural-language questions. They are apparently the initial results of a recent flurry of activity designed to increase market share for the firm.