Users discuss the best way to create an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) website using Discourse. Mawi_Raura initially suggests using a separate category for each public figure, but Steve_Pavlina warns this could lead to too many categories over time, recommending instead a single category with one topic per figure. joebuhlig shares a helpful Meta Discourse thread on AMA setups. Mawi_Raura proposes archiving closed AMAs into a single category to keep active ones visible. vinothkannans suggests using tags instead of categories — placing all AMA topics in “Uncategorized” and tagging them by public figure, while customizing the topic template to mention the figure’s username (e.g., @JustinBiber) to trigger notifications. Mawi_Raura asks for clarification on notifications, and vinothkannans explains that Discourse notifies users when mentioned by username. codinghorror acknowledges that category-based AMAs can work, as shown in an example image, but advises considering volume of participants and questions. Overall, the community favors topic-based organization with tags or mentions over proliferating categories, balancing usability, scalability, and notification features.
I’d like to build a website where every week we host a public figure who responds to people’s questions about their work/career.
What is the best way to implement it using discourse? I was thinking the public figure’s name can be used as a category so every question for reach particular one is easily seen.
I think that approach could work, but then you’d end up with about 50 categories being added every year, which would be a lot of categories. That sounds like overkill.
You could just have a single thread/topic for each public figure, and then let the Q&A be done as replies to that topic. Then you’d only need one category for all of them.
Take a look at this thread. There are some golden nuggets in there:
True. However what if, after each topic’s closure,they were to get bundled into one big category such that only active ama’s were visible as topics?
Thanks Joe. That was helpful
I will use tags instead of categories. So all the topics will be go on Uncategorized with public figure’s tag.
Also I will change the topic template of the Uncategorized category just like below.
Hi @JustinBiber,
Mentioning him will send notification about new topics. And I will keep changing it for every public figure’s change.
Thanks vinothkannans. Could you explain the notifications bit?
By default, Discourse will send notification when someone mentioned you using the username (for example: @Mawi_Raura). So when the topic template having mentioned with username of public figure he will get notification.
