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Don't Just Say "Hello" in Chat

nohello.com

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Re: Don't Just Say "Hello" in Chat

#4
> It's as if you called someone on the phone and said "Hi!" and then put them on hold!

Typically you both say a greeting then a conversation starts.

> Instead of being polite, you are just making the other person wait for you to phrase your question, which is lost productivity.

Please don't count every second of your life in productivity lost to someone else.

The root of the problem might be frustration with not getting something done, and that needs your reflection.

Or just wake up 3 seconds earlier, and if worried about lost sleep, get to sleep 3 seconds earlier or in the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger "sleep faster."

Re: Don't Just Say "Hello" in Chat

#5

> It's as if you called someone on the phone and said "Hi!" and then put them on hold! Typically you both say a greeting then a conversation starts. > Instead of being polite, you are just making the other person wait for you to phrase your question, which is lost productivity. Please don't count every second of your life in productivity lost to someone else. The root of the problem might be frustration with not gett…

It’s not the same on the phone. It’s async in the chat, whereas on the phone, the picking up is already accepting the conversation start.

Re: Don't Just Say "Hello" in Chat

#6

> It's as if you called someone on the phone and said "Hi!" and then put them on hold! Typically you both say a greeting then a conversation starts. > Instead of being polite, you are just making the other person wait for you to phrase your question, which is lost productivity. Please don't count every second of your life in productivity lost to someone else. The root of the problem might be frustration with not gett…

Absolutely - immediately getting upset that folks that didn't spend their teenage years on IRC (I did, but still) don't know the etiquette is just as annoying as not knowing the etiquette.

Re: Don't Just Say "Hello" in Chat

#7
The other person isn't necessarily waiting for the response. At the least, its a communication that you are about to ask them something, i.e. check back here in the next minute or so while I type out my question.

Also, "Hi" is a good way of finding out if a person is present, sometimes you might ask to call them instead of typing your question.

It also might be the case there are multiple people who can answer the question, so you want send out "hi" to a few of them to see who will respond right now.

Re: Don't Just Say "Hello" in Chat

#8

> It's as if you called someone on the phone and said "Hi!" and then put them on hold! Typically you both say a greeting then a conversation starts. > Instead of being polite, you are just making the other person wait for you to phrase your question, which is lost productivity. Please don't count every second of your life in productivity lost to someone else. The root of the problem might be frustration with not gett…

How do you know it takes three seconds for the other party to continue the conversation they started?

It can just as well go like this:

- Bob writes "Hi" and I get a notification

- I enter the chat and wait for Bob

- 30 seconds later the indicator shows he's typing something

- 30 seconds later, still nothing

- 30 seconds later the typing indicator goes away

- I go away. Eventually Bob follows up with the actual content.

That was frustrating for me, not because of some issues I need to work with, but because Bob kept me on hold while he's trying to figure out what to say.

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