No More MS Clippy The Annoying Paperclip is History Byron Alley
April 16, 2001 - One of the most controversial elements in the past releases of Microsoft Office, the paperclip helper, has been removed from the next release. Designed as a user-friendly way to welcome new users of the application package, and to provide constant help with program features, the paperclip personality drew mixed emotions from users.
The paperclip, known as "Clippy," was intended to enhance the help features of programs such as Microsoft word, presenting a cartoon character which would seem to communicate with the user. However, rather than finding the paperclip character amusing and helpful, many users found it annoying. Clippy was designed to pop up when users began certain types of actions.
Microsoft has explained the new move by insisting that the new version of Office, known as Office XP, will be so much easier to use that tools like Clippy are no longer necessary.
