Late in 2008 I started asking a question every day on Twitter. I designate it with the hashtag #andyasks and suggest that all those responding do the same. In a November 2008 blog post I talked about what kinds of questions I was planning to ask:
“I have no clear idea what I’ll ask about over time. I’ll try to make andyasks questions varied, and of broad interest. I know that they’ll reflect my interests, which include good writing of all kinds, movies, modern American culture (OK, pop culture), the arts of living well, baseball, technology, and whatever catches my eye in the paper and online.
I imagine that most questions will be lighthearted; there’s more than enough somber material floating around the ether these days. And there will rarely if ever be right vs. wrong answers. This is not intended to be a trivia contest (in the age of Google, how much sport would there be in an online trivia contest?).
I hope you’ll find andyasks to be fun and engaging, and I hope you’ll frequently take the few seconds required to fire off an answer.”
The past couple months of #andyasks have been great fun for me, and judging from the volume of responses and steady participation of some folk in the twitterverse it’s also been of interest to others.
If you’d like to see the #andyasks traffic, do a Twitter search like this one. I’m working to have each day’s #andyasks questions, responses, and follow-on tweets automatically collected and displayed somehow here; watch this space for updates on this project.
In the meantime, I’d like to ask for your help in coming up with good questions. A few people have asked if there’s a way to suggest new topics and questions for #andyasks. Well, now there is. Leave your question as a comment to this page, and I’ll harvest the best of them. If I use yours I’ll credit you by including your Twitter username when I ask the question (if you’d like to be credited a different way or to remain anonymous, please let me know).
Thanks!
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I apologize that I don't know if you've already addressed this question on #andyaks; if you have, please just point me towards the thread. Thx
Here's the question for #andyasks: how are collaborative or social networking technologies impacting organization structures/reporting relationships today, and how are organizations adjusting their structures to realize the potential of these technologies? (or how would they LIKE to adjust their structures?)
Thx for considering – @rebeccajonesgal
I am from a business college in China .I am much interested in competition through it.
I want to learn from you about Enterprise 2.0! My name is Liushenghua LiuI am from a business college in China .I am much interested in competition through it.
I want to learn from you about Enterprise 2.0! My name is Shenghua Liu,my e-mail:lshjack@163.com.Thank you.
@Rebecca Jones That question is a little bit too long for Twitter, no?
I'd doubt if it could be answered well in 140 characters (the question is 146 characters over the limit).
What music artist have you “McCartneyed”? (Meaning, stopped buying CDs after having been a fan for a long while.) I guess that's more than 140 chars.
A couple I'd find interesting, although there's probably some overlap with questions you've already asked:
<ul>
<li>What brands are you most loyal to? (Bonus points for answers other than Apple)</li>
<li>If, for some reason, you were being executed, what would you request for your last meal?</li>
<li>What movie have you re-watched the most times? (works for books, too)</li>
<li>If you could have attended any sporting event in history in person, which would you choose?</li>
<li>What activity do you commonly enjoy to “kickoff” a vacation?</li>
<li>If you could only watch movies with one specific actor/actress, whose work would you watch? (works for books by a specific author, too)</li>
<li>What tv show, band, author, etc. did you follow WAY before it became popular?</li>
<li>Which profession do you have the most respect for? (bonus points for specificity)</li>
<li>Where were you the last time you got hopelessly lost?</li>
<li>What technology do you wish had never been invented?</li>
</ul>
I'll see if I can think of any others.
These are great – thanks!
- APM
I'm following all of your posts..I'm find interesting with your blog..keep going and thanks for writing up..
so can we give you any question and you will answer on twitter ?
regards
Here is a question I would love to see the answers to:
“What have you realized is important as you've grown older that you never thought about when you were younger?”
Given today's post:
“First thing I always do at a new job?”
I have a question for you, in your research do you know the average time people stay in online social networking groups. Can you tell me the average daily participation for an online user of social networks???
Hello Andrew, nice to read your blogs
So, what's the result come out? have you got answer on your twitter? Actually, i want to ask a question but i don't know how can i ask?
Hey, free lance web designer have you got answer on your required destination because i want to ask a questions that's the reason i want to know it first.
Andy – I hear ur a skeptic on zero waste
I think some interesting andyasks could revolve around something environmentally conscious. There are boring things like greening ur office, greening IT…more exciting things like green positions in mission statements, philanthropic contributions…or even better p/l breakdowns on sustainable products, transparency about the costs, and choices made to 'do the right thing' in opposition to profit.
Any of those would be fascinating to me, maybe it will surprise you too
Back to zero waste. I would love to have a debate about it. Though, i suspect you would instantly lose once i bring up landfills and the environment. Beyond the oceanic garbage patches and our toxic rivers, ive talked with many business that state recycling/composting costs half as much as regular landfill waste. In some districts recycling pickup is even free, due to commodity conversioning and no long term costs.
What do you say…can I engage your scholarly nerve for some point, counter point through email?
steve@acleanlife.org
http://acleanlife.org
i would love to see this debate:)
Really cool, hope it works and we can get a Q&A.
Andy – how about favorite way to spend Labor Day (BBQ/cookout not an option).
-Rich
@richyoung
Insightful read. I have stumbled and twittered this for my friends. Others no doubt will like it like I did.