'Ask Jeeves' to dump butler icon

LONDON, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The Web site askjeeves.com is dumping its butler icon.

The owner of the search site, Barry Diller, cited "user confusion" for the phasing out of the cartoon Jeeves, the BBC reported Friday.

Diller's Inter-Active Corp. bought the Ask Jeeves group in May and it immediately started investigating how users perceive the "Jeeves" valet, modeled after a character created by novelist P.G. Wodehouse.

Jeeves actually got a "makeover" last year, dumping pounds from the drawing as well as giving him a nice tan. But his new owners have decided he is still too closely associated with the "old" Web site, so a phase-out is in order.

There was no indication, however, who or what will replace Jeeves nor when that may happen.