Ask.com tried to compete with Google as an all-purpose search engine, but found that it can’t. So instead of being generic, they’ve gone for a pretty narrow niche:

In a dramatic about-face, Ask.com is abandoning its effort to outshine Internet search leader Google Inc. and will instead focus on a narrower market consisting of married women looking for help managing their lives.

Once you get over your shock at this dramatic change, it actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea. They almost certainly have a better chance of making money out of that niche than competing head-to-head with Google. Just because a niche sounds a little weird doesn’t mean it’s not profitable.