I think these “Ask a _______” threads are lame, lame, lame. If anybody found you interesting, don’t you think they would have started an “I’m Asking A (whatever)” thread? This is nothing but begging for an audience to put yourself or your agenda in the most favorable, sanitized light, ignoring any shortcomings, warts, or otherwise distasteful aspects.
So no, I’m not going to “Ask a _______”, thanks for the offer.
Aww, and here I was hoping you’d start an “Ask an asshole” thread.
I don’t agree.
For instance, I’m rather curious about Sufism and how it relates both to mainstream Islam and other ‘mystic’ traditions the world over. However, I don’t plan on starting a “Hey, all Sufis come here and tell me stuff!” thread. If a Sufi wanted to start a thread, I’d be happy to ask questions.
YMM(O)V
I didn’t think my work had a wide enough following to justify it.
I disagree. I love good 'Ask the…" threads, because I often end up learning things from them. They signal that someone is willing to answer a bunch of questions about their area of knowledge, not just the one I thought to ask, and I like seeing what other people ask, too. “Ask the Gay Guy” and “Ask a Cop” are two that I found extremely interesting, but there’s others I’ve forgotten.
I don’t agree either. I once started an Ask the Libertarian Objectivist Christian thread, and took quite a bit of heat, including a Randian who I thought was going to blow a gasket. I think the threads can be very informative. Sure, there will be everything from hijackers to sycophants, but that’s true of any thread.
Why bother?
I believe the correct term is ‘randroid’, or:
follower of the Rand, Branden, and Holy Galt.
Randroid! 
I love the “ask a…”
Even the most recent one. I have left some feeling frustrated but I always learned something.
Hey if I ever thought I knew anything I would start an “ask the kiwi”
You can see if it’s an ‘Ask the …’ thread right in the title. If you don’t like them, then feel free not to click.
lame rant
There’s also the fact that it’s just quicker and easier.
I could start a “Sufis tell me stuff” thread, and I’d have to wait for a Sufi to wander past it and answer. Chances are the thread would sink without ever getting a response.
On the other hand, having an "ask the… " thread collects everything in one place, and it’s more likely that one can find people to ask questions than people to answer them.
I would like two bucketfuls of shit please.
Not really.
Is that the “Ask 2 buckets of shit” thread? 
Really? 'Cause if that’s the idea it seems a pretty pisspoor way of going about it. Since once you start one of those threads you open yourself up to all kinds of pointed questions about who you are and what you are about. All of whcih you will have to defend in public.
And what is so terrible about offering the possibility of information before it’s asked for?
bete glares threateningly at her encyclopedias that are arrogently full of information she never asked them for
Yeah, or ignore them altogether. Or claim victimhood. I don’t think it’s quite as brave as people are making it out to be.
If an OP is a schmuck, a dogpile generally results. The SDMB is kinda self-regulating like that.
Starting an “ask the …” thread is, IMO, an attempt to fight a little ignorance. Obviously, not all of us know what it’s like to be a left handed elephant trainer. (Where does one find left handed elephants anyways?). Some of us, I suppose, are curious about what it takes to train an elephant.
And yes, you do open yourself up to scrutiny. It’s the Dope, after all. Our southpaw pachyderm instructor would proably get a few questions asking if he/she minded that animal training is cruel to wild animals, etc… And yeah, I’m sure a lot of OP’s of that sort are simple ego masturbation, but there doesn’t necessarily need to be a dichotomy between ego masturbation and the fight against ignorance.
And “Ask the Attention Whore” isn’t a specific enough title for a thread.
Now that would be an Escher-esque thread. “Ask the attention whore what it’s like to be an attention whore.”
Hmmmm…well, yes. Certainly depends a lot on how they respond to what they’ve started when they open a thread like that. Not necessarily brave. But, they are going out of there way to open themselves up to questions. So, not, as far as I can see, as cowardly and self serveing as you make them out ot be.