Clippy

Definition

An animated paperclip character that served as an 'intelligent' virtual assistant in Microsoft Office 97-2003, offering contextual help and suggestions. It became infamous for its intrusive behavior and is widely regarded as one of the most annoying software features ever created.

Example Usage

Every time I opened Word, Clippy would pop up asking if I needed help writing a letter.

Origin

Official name was 'Clippit'; nicknamed 'Clippy' by users; part of Microsoft's 'Office Assistant' feature introduced in Office 95.

Fun Fact

Clippy became so universally hated that its removal in Office XP (2002) was celebrated as a major improvement, and it is now considered a textbook example of poor user interface design.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

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