Imagine calling someone on the phone, going Yo!
then putting them on hold.
Chances are you were sent here by someone from another chat after you’ve started the
conversation just saying “Hello” or “Good Morning!” waiting for a response and now you’re
curious what they tried to tell you with this link…
08:34
Uwe: Yo!
08:37
Elias: ...?
08:39
Uwe: Quick Question.
08:39
Elias: ...
10:24
Uwe: Yo!
10:57
Elias: ...?
10:59
Uwe: What time was [...]?
10:59
Elias: Lmao, It was 10:30.
Note that Uwe could have got his answer minutes sooner, and needn't have kept Elias waiting. In fact, Elias could have started thinking about the question right away!
People who do this are generally trying to be polite by not jumping right into the request, like one would in person or on the phone - and that's great! But it's 2021 and chat is neither of those things. For most people, typing is much slower than talking. So despite best intentions, you're actually just making the other person wait for you to phrase your question, which is lost productivity (and kinda annoying).
The same goes for:
Just ask the question! 😩
10:24
Uwe: Yo! What time was [...]?
10:25
Elias: Oh hey, 10:30
10:25
Uwe: Ta - seeya then!
10:59
Elias: 👌 np
If you feel it's a bit brusque to simply say "Yo" and ask the question, you can still preface your message with as many pleasantries as you see fit.
For example:
It may seem trivial, but asking your question before getting that initial salutatory reply also allows for asynchronous communication. If the other party is away, and you leave before they come back, they can still answer your question, instead of just staring at a "Yo!" and wondering what they missed.
When done right - everyone's happy! 🎉