skweb - 10:27 pm on Mar 4, 2008 (gmt 0)

According to the NYT, Ask.com will eliminate about 40 jobs, or 8 percent of its work force, and is reevaluating its product and marketing lineup, new Chief Executive Jim Safka said on Tuesday.

The company found that about 65 percent of its user base are women, with a high concentration of users in their late 30s in the U.S. Midwest and Southeast. That contrasts with the wider search market, where women account for closer to 48 percent of users.

"If we can do a better job of understanding who these customers are and answering their questions, we will grow," Safka said. He was due to outline the strategy to staff on Tuesday.

In other words, time to make some real changes.