Please, Don't Just Say 'Hello' in a Chat

It's as if you're calling someone on the phone, saying 'Hello!' and then putting them on hold.

It's better to do this:

Notice that you get quicker feedback and don't make the other person wait, and they start thinking about your question right away.

You're trying to be polite, not immediately jumping into your issue, like people do in face-to-face meetings. But chat is quite different. People type much slower than they speak. Instead of being polite, you make the other person wait while you formulate your question, which leads to a loss of productivity.

The same applies to messages like 'Hello,' 'Hi. Are you there?,' 'Hello! I have a question,' 'Do you have a minute?,' 'Ping.' Just ask the question!

If you feel it's impolite to just say 'Hello' and ask a question right away, you can do this:

Furthermore, when you ask a question immediately, it opens up the possibility of asynchronous interaction. If the person is unavailable, and you leave before they return, they can still answer the question, instead of wondering what happened to your 'Hello.'