> Why is online conversation so special? Because it has the potential to be asynchronous. If I glance through a channel and see a bunch of questions then I ca

> Why is online conversation so special? Because it has the potential to be asynchronous. If I glance through a channel and see a bunch of questions then I can answer them in just the time it takes for me to write an answer. Whereas if I see "Hey can anyone help me?" then I need to ask "Possibly. What's the issue?" and wait for the asker to return, see my message, then formulate their question. Note that this is assuming a programming chat room. "Asking to ask" makes slightly more sense in a 1-1 DM with someone. > the norms and etiquettes of conversation pre-exist for a reason Mostly for face-to-face conversations.