1) AMA format inherently suppresses conversation - the "host" can usually only reply to a relatively small number of top level questions, so many questions and

1) AMA format inherently suppresses conversation - the "host" can usually only reply to a relatively small number of top level questions, so many questions and the vast majority of follow up discussion get ignored due to lack of time to respond to them before the AMA dies or the host gets bored and leaves. Also, many people only care about "getting noticed" by a celebrity and not actually asking something useful or thought-provoking. 2) As others have said, it usually ends up being advertising or serving some other agenda. It takes time and effort to respond to AMA questions, so most hosts only do it because they think they can get something of greater value, and that also rewards doing the bare minimum such as only answering easy questions or closing the AMA after a fairly short time. 3) Reddit and HN have drastically different cultures - while small subreddits might be ok, any large reddit community quickly devolves to the point intelligent conversation is impossible through a thick miasma of 'ironic' shitposting, juvenile humour, and general idiocy. You can't import cultural features from somewhere like that without risking harm to HN. I don't want it to turn into another Reddit.