Useless Clippy quirk

This weekend I had a chance to see Hollywood Squares (sans Paul Lynde) on The Game Show Network. At the end of the show, contestants answer a series of quick true or false statements about participating celebrities. Gilbert Gottfried was one of the squares and his question had to do with .... Microsoft Office's Clippy. Did you know that he was the voice of Clippy? Quite honestly, I did not recall Clippy having a voice, but found this on the Internet Movie Database:

"When Microsoft came out with XP and decided to discontinue Clippy, the paperclip office assistant, they did a series of online clips about Clippy's reaction to this. Gilbert provided Clippy's voice." (IMB, Biography for Gilbert Gottfried)

The things you learn.

Tags: Clippy, Microsoft Office Assistant, Gilbert Gottfried

So long, farewell ....

Scott Gilbertson over at Monkey Bites has posted a fond farewell to Microsoft Office's increasingly annoying "help" tool, clippy entitled: In Memoriam, Clippy. It appears clippy is no more in the newest version of Office.

First spotted in Office 97, something I was reminded of last week when typing a letter on my Dad's computer and was interrupted with an inquiry from Clippy asking if I wanted help, the assistant was a help tool. Later versions of help allowed users to choose their own Clippy interface, remember the dog and Einstein? Personally, I spent more time getting rid of Clippy and his pals than I did utilizing the tool.

Though I do not remember seeing Clippy in Office XP or even Word 2003, see also Microsoft Tool Clippy Gets "Pink Slip" (CNet, 1/11/01), it seems Vista is indeed the last hurrah. As Gilbertson profoundly said: "Clippy is dead. Long live Clippy."

Tags: Microsoft Vista, Microsoft Office assistant, Clippy, Monkey Bites