So, why do all u techies start a sentence with "So," ?

[dullard]

I admit it. I'm a techie. I also have started most sentences with the word "so" since about the age of 2. I can't explain why. I've tried stopping, but it doesn't work.

The word "so" is a convenient ice-breaker, a way to skip a long awkward summary of the past, a delay tactic similar to "um", and/or less snobby than starting a sentence with "thus".

 

[Savarak]

its not as annoying as when people starts off with "basically...."

 

[BabaBooey]

Because they are better than you in so many ways....:hmm:

 

[destrekor]

While it is NOT a rule, it is improper English. Many professors have agreed that reading papers with sentences that begin with "So..." says this student was not taught PROPER English. However, the sentence above is like poetry -and in poetry or descriptive writing, we NEED to heighten the characteristics of what we are talking about -the subject (the subject in the above sentence: 'the undergrowth'; the description: 'so dense'. In that sentence, with using 'so', it is fine...actually wonderful...pleasing to the reader (I knew how dense the undergrowth was before I knew that John spent five minutes in it..and I was able to visualize this better)
Go back to First grade for a moment and think about how you would talk to a five or six year old to excite them. Perhaps something like, "The oceanic habitat is home to millions of sea creatures-even sharks!" (I'm letting students know about the ocean -like the initial sentence let me know about the undergrowth -I, as would a five or six year old, would be intrigued.) Then I would say, "Oceans cover seventy-five percent of our Earth!" (Kids would think about how high of a number that is and be amazed-even more excited, and perhaps be able to visualize an imaginative sight of all of those fish and sharks covering MOST of the world! ....like in the initial sentence when I found out that John was lost in five minutes-because of how dense the overgrowth was.)

Now, if you're still with me, here are the best times to use the improper English 'so' at the beginning of a sentence.

-When writing poetry: "So lovely was the lavender lilacs, I could only breathe in a sweet smell."
-when making an impression on informational essay writing (THIS IS ONLY OKAY 1-2 TIMES) "So these colonies stood strong, just as our America has become."
-when giving speeches (also, see above) "So I say to all my family and friends, take my words and think of them when the sun stops shining so bright!"

***YOU don't need to know proper English to change the world. Writing comes from the heart -your thoughts, feelings; and you'd be surprised at how many published pieces look when they first arrive at a publishing company! Bottom line, if it's meant to be good, it will be...or eventually will be. So, that's all I got.

:hmm:

So... wwybywb?

 

[mfenn]

While it is NOT a rule, it is improper English. Many professors have agreed that reading papers with sentences that begin with "So..." says this student was not taught PROPER English. However, the sentence above is like poetry -and in poetry or descriptive writing, we NEED to heighten the characteristics of what we are talking about -the subject (the subject in the above sentence: 'the undergrowth'; the description: 'so dense'. In that sentence, with using 'so', it is fine...actually wonderful...pleasing to the reader (I knew how dense the undergrowth was before I knew that John spent five minutes in it..and I was able to visualize this better)
Go back to First grade for a moment and think about how you would talk to a five or six year old to excite them. Perhaps something like, "The oceanic habitat is home to millions of sea creatures-even sharks!" (I'm letting students know about the ocean -like the initial sentence let me know about the undergrowth -I, as would a five or six year old, would be intrigued.) Then I would say, "Oceans cover seventy-five percent of our Earth!" (Kids would think about how high of a number that is and be amazed-even more excited, and perhaps be able to visualize an imaginative sight of all of those fish and sharks covering MOST of the world! ....like in the initial sentence when I found out that John was lost in five minutes-because of how dense the overgrowth was.)

Now, if you're still with me, here are the best times to use the improper English 'so' at the beginning of a sentence.

-When writing poetry: "So lovely was the lavender lilacs, I could only breathe in a sweet smell."
-when making an impression on informational essay writing (THIS IS ONLY OKAY 1-2 TIMES) "So these colonies stood strong, just as our America has become."
-when giving speeches (also, see above) "So I say to all my family and friends, take my words and think of them when the sun stops shining so bright!"

***YOU don't need to know proper English to change the world. Writing comes from the heart -your thoughts, feelings; and you'd be surprised at how many published pieces look when they first arrive at a publishing company! Bottom line, if it's meant to be good, it will be...or eventually will be. So, that's all I got.

While that's all well and good awe, you literary types need to learn the difference between spoken English and written English. The two can barely be considered the same language from a linguistic point of view. The rules of written language should not be imposed on spoken language, as that would render the spoken tongue unnatural and incomprehensible.

I'm pretty sure the OP was referring to spoken language, where temporal factors are of the utmost importance. Really, try to remember the exact words that someone said in a conversation you had 5 minutes ago. People just don't process information in that manner.) As has been noted in the thread, "so" is a perfectly good word to start a sentence with and its use in this case is good spoken English.

 

[DonInKansas]

So, why do you put a space between the last word in your sentence and the punctuation mark? It drives me up the wall!

 

[Phoenix86]

It's to reinforce that we know something you don't. /stance of dominance

So, let me explain this, since you don't understand.

 

[zinfamous]

Now, if you're still with me, here are the best times to use the improper English 'so' at the beginning of a sentence.

-When writing poetry: "So lovely was the lavender lilacs, I could only breathe in a sweet smell."
-when making an impression on informational essay writing (THIS IS ONLY OKAY 1-2 TIMES) "So these colonies stood strong, just as our America has become."
-when giving speeches (also, see above) "So I say to all my family and friends, take my words and think of them when the sun stops shining so bright!"

I don't know where you did your learning, but that's a horrible non-sentence, even without "so," for any type of academic essay.

 

[vulcanman]

As has been noted in the thread, "so" is a perfectly good word to start a sentence with and its use in this case is good spoken English.

I disagree.

Here is a good (right) usage...

Me: I cannot come to the ball game tonight.

Friend: So what will you be doing instead ?

Here is a wrong usage ...

Me: Do you know how to play baseball ?

Friend: So I have been meaning to learn how to play baseball.

 

[Noirish]

at the end of the day, it is what it is, whatever.

 

[pnad]

So my wife recently pointed out that I always begin a conversation with "so".

So then I noticed that I do it in writing as well.

So now I try to limit my "so" usage.

 

[GlacierFreeze]

So my wife recently pointed out that I always begin a conversation with "so".

So then I noticed that I do it in writing as well.

So now I try to limit my "so" usage.

so cool story bro

 

[Daishiki]

I'm guilty of using "actually" or "basically" too much. I notice others use it quite often as well.

 

[destrekor]

I'm guilty of using "actually" or "basically" too much. I notice others use it quite often as well.

So, basically, what you're saying is, we don't care about formal language constraints when not necessary, eh?
:sneaky:

 

[mfenn]

I disagree.

Here is a good (right) usage...

Me: I cannot come to the ball game tonight.

Friend: So what will you be doing instead ?

Here is a wrong usage ...

Me: Do you know how to play baseball ?

Friend: So I have been meaning to learn how to play baseball.

Whoooooooosh.................

Writing != Speaking

Sure, if you were writing some dialogue in a novel, the former would be correct. If you and your friend were having a real conversation then both are perfectly fine.

In the latter instance your friend is using so as a way to make sure that you're listening before he begins speaking. This is a temporal consideration, and obviously not relevant to written language. It is far better for him to use the 1/4 to 1/2 second at the beginning of the sentence with a word that doesn't contribute to the overall meaning of the sentence than for him to to have to take 3-4 seconds repeating himself. Natural languages (as opposed to the constructs that we refer to as written language) have evolved to be very efficient at communicating meaning over an often noisy channel.

Written language has has evolved to fit other requirements. Historically space-efficiency has been the overriding consideration. Even after the advent of the printing press, mass distribution of media was extremely expensive! With the Internet, however, we're seeing written language evolve in a different direction since space-efficiency is no longer the overriding concern. Tying this back to your example, the usage of so in the second conversation would be incorrect in writing for the exact same reason that it would be correct when speaking! It doesn't add to the meaning of the sentence, and is therefore unnecessary.

Ok, that was a bit of an academic tangent, but the point is Writing != Speaking. The two media have very different properties and their respective languages will naturally evolve with respect to those properties.

 

[ViviTheMage]

While we're complaining about things people do ...

I absolutely HATE when people type the letter U, when they could easily type out 'you'.

 

[rockyct]

He's basically trying to explain something technical in a language you can understand. It's complicated and he pegged you for someone would wouldn't understand his native tongue.

 

[rockyct]

While we're complaining about things people do ...

I absolutely HATE when people type the letter U, when they could easily type out 'you'.

Blame teens and text messaging for that.

 

[DT4K]

It drives me up the wall ... I went to a techie conference and almost everyone there starts off a sentence with a "So ..."

Is there any particular reason you put three periods after your first sentence when you should have only used one?

 

[StageLeft]

I noticed this and made a thread about it a few months ago. I cannot find it, though. Since that thread I have realized that I do it, too. I hate myself for it.

 

[Tremulant]

Is there any particular reason you put three periods after your first sentence when you should have only used one?

Or the space before question marks and exclamation points?

 

[ViviTheMage]

Blame teens and text messaging for that.

But people do it in emails, in professional environments..ages 30+, hate it so much!

 

[StageLeft]

But people do it in emails, in professional environments..ages 30+, hate it so much!

In professional emails? U have to be kidding me.

 

[GlacierFreeze]

In professional emails? U have to be kidding me.

So u don't believe him ?

 

[Daishiki]

So, basically, what you're saying is, we don't care about formal language constraints when not necessary, eh?
:sneaky:

Actually, I would say we sometimes lack confidence in our communication and rely on such words to make up for it by putting down others. Basically, we throw away said formal language constraints in an effort to make ourselves look/feel better. So, overuse of "actually" becomes a euphemism for "You're wrong" and "basically" becomes "You're dumb."