It's a way to prime others in the convo to start focusing in you. Then once focused, you deliver the meat. It's a very, very old technique. The reason we write those conversational techniques down is our increased literacy (we use written words more and more) and the acceptance of writing informally basically everywhere.
This makes sense - talking with fingers and leaving records of our dialogue to be eventually read at the leisure of recipient(s) is does not require the instantaneous turn-taking auditory announcement devices we are referencing.
I wonder if people will gradually become less quick and witty over time with this increasingly standard mode of communication.
But there are benefits to be reaped from our ebb & flow of commenting and pondering throughout our day.
