Just to clarify: the problem is not asking to ask (or saying "hello", as in nohello.com) - the problem is waiting for a response to the message before saying wh

Just to clarify: the problem is not asking to ask (or saying "hello", as in nohello.com) - the problem is waiting for a response to the message before saying what you were going to say to begin with. Nothing wrong with "Any Java experts around? I haven't updated my Java knowledge since version 5, and am looking for resources to lean from", for example. Similarly, "Hey John, would you have 15 minutes? I have a question about such-and-such API that you have worked with" is non-problematic, whereas "Hey John, would you have 15 minutes?" by itself is. If the next thing you say does not depend on the response, say it right way. In short: when you have something to say, say it.