Use of the condescending "Ummm..." to start a post

[BCLG100]

its so hard to not start this post with 'hmm' but really i dont see the problem, it could merely imply that someone had been thinking about it.

 

[nonconformist]

What irritates me is this:



Ban it!

I agree with my backwards comrade here.

Rolleyes should be removed.

It does not ocnstitute a response, let alone a counter, or valid point, and serves only to make you look like an idiot.

 

[Sir_Lancelot]

I agree with my backwards comrade here.

Rolleyes should be removed.

It does not ocnstitute a response, let alone a counter, or valid point, and serves only to make you look like an idiot.

No. I have found it helpful many times to express my feelings about the AI.. and perhaps towards myself in some few cases!

 

[ybbor]

I agree with my backwards comrade here.

Rolleyes should be removed.

It does not ocnstitute a response, let alone a counter, or valid point, and serves only to make you look like an idiot.

good plan! let's ban all emotions that don't make us feel good about each other, and ourselves! Group hug!

must resist urge :rolle phew

 

[Mise]

To be honest, I don't respond to people who use "rolleyes" very often, because they clearly know more about the subject than I do

As for "Umm...", I use it when I'm quite sure that I'm right (i.e. if it's about a subject I happen to know a great deal about), and I agree that it's condescending, that's why I use it! That said, it's also true that people would respond better to a post without such condescending remarks. That's for bringing it to my attention.

 

[CurtSibling]

I don't think others using 'uuummm' is offensive, it just makes them look silly.

.

 

[Rik Meleet]

I agree with my backwards comrade here.

Rolleyes should be removed.

It does not ocnstitute a response, let alone a counter, or valid point, and serves only to make you look like an idiot.

I see value in the smiley outside the Colosseum. In the colosseum I find very insulting.

 

[Souron]

I use Um when I want to point out that something somebody said is compleately wrong in some way. I only use it when I'm sure I'm right. For example I might use it when pointing out a math error(that I checked over atleast twice).

I can immagine that being condecending, but only because of the confidence it implies.

 

[Sir_Lancelot]

I use Um when I want to point out that something somebody said is compleately wrong in some way. I only use it when I'm sure I'm right. For example I might use it when pointing out a math error(that I checked over atleast twice).

I can immagine that being condecending, but only because of the confidence it implies.

I thought "um" was just another way of saying "hmm".
Although it's kind of international, the meaning may wary a bit from place to place. I guess.

 

[Teg_Navanis]

Ummm, such hesitation markers are quite common in spoken discourse, especially in order to make a dispreferred response (i.e. disagreement) less offensive.

A: Will you come to my party tomorrow?
B: Well... I'd .. I'd rather not.

is in fact far less impolite and much more natural/common than

A: Will you come to my party tomorrow?
B: No.

(actually, an apology or excuse would make the dispreferred response even more polite)


In written discourse, hesitation markers have a much higher markedness than in spoken one, so I see why you find them odd or even offensive. Personally, I just see them as spoken features entering the written discourse in internet conversations, something which can also be perceived in other languages.


Harrharr, starting a lecture with "ummm" is fun...

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

uhhhmmm It doesn't anoy me.

 

[Souron]

I thought "um" was just another way of saying "hmm".
Although it's kind of international, the meaning may wary a bit from place to place. I guess.

Well Mise seems to agree with my use.

No, even in speach, "Um" is closer to the eqivilent "Er", as in "to Er is human". It is what you would say when you are at a loss as to what to say.

 

[RameNoodle]

Is ummm... really a problem? I mean, does anyone really have a change of opinion about a certain post because of the use of a staller that people often use in regular speech? I personally find it much more insulting when someone singles you out and makes a stab at a point you made rudely, such as...

@RameNoodle: No. How could you possibly think that blah blah blah. It would be ignorant to have your opinion.

 

[Sir_Lancelot]

Is ummm... really a problem? I mean, does anyone really have a change of opinion about a certain post because of the use of a staller that people often use in regular speech?

Usually I don't care. But it can be annoying if it's too much of that in a post.

If a thread begins with much "ummh" or other sounds, is written in SMS/chat language, or contains a lot of smilies, I will probably never read that thread.

And if I can go slightly off topic: Thread titles. I usually overlook threads with a topic title that contains no spesific information, typically titles that calls for attention.

 

[Rambuchan]

You want to ban how certain people express themselves on these boards?

Of course, I disagree with the proposal from start to finish.

 

[Ansar]

Who uses ummm....? I've never seen someone use it, or maybe i've not been in the OT much?

 

[BCLG100]

Who uses ummm....? I've never seen someone use it, or maybe i've not been in the OT much?

yer its use is mainly in OT

 

[azzaman333]

umm.... to be honest, i find starting with ummm to be very useful when i am posting in a thread i know nothing about. It makes me feel like i can be special.