President Barack Obama. Bill Gates. The Oatmeal’s Matthew Inman. Louis C.K. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Woody Harrelson. Stephen Colbert. Chris Hadfield. Jay Iorio.
What do all these people have in common? They’ve all led memorable “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) sessions on “the front page of the Internet,” reddit.com.
With his roles as technology strategist for IEEE SA, architect and manager of the IEEE Island in Second Life, and musician, Jay Iorio proved to be the perfect candidate for a reddit AMA.
What is an AMA? It’s a truly open forum –reddit subscribers (a.k.a., redditors) can ask whatever question comes to mind—hence “ask me anything.”
So, on Feb. 26, 2013, Jay logged onto reddit and led IEEE SA’s first-ever AMA—and a successful one to boot. For Jay, the questions didn’t disappoint:
- “What’s the best innovation (in your opinion) that has made life better that IEEE has developed?”
- “What are the odds of an integrated HUD in our vision that isn’t from an external source? An in eye display option if you will.”
- “What is ‘the Internet of Things?’ Is it, basically, Internet+smart grid?”
- “Hey, there is an IEEE branch in Piscataway, NJ where I live. Do you know what they do there? Any chance a high schooler can nail a summer internship?”
- “What exactly do you mean by ‘body-hacking?’ And what type of technology are you developing in that field?”
- “So, why SXSW? Is this IEEE’s target audience? Also, can you talk a little about how augmented reality is going to play in the consumer space?”
And there’s more where that came from. Along with several thought-provoking and interesting questions, the conversations that ensued were even better.
Jay’s performance as an AMA participant was flawless—and maybe the start of a growing trend among IEEE SA staffers and members. The “why” behind it all? The world wants to know more about the advancement of technology for humanity and what’s in store for the future of our society. Ideally, reddit is the online public forum to communicate these initiatives and connect with a inquisitive populace.
To read more about his conversations with redditors, check out Jay’s AMA.
