system
A chat on subreddit /r/me_irl
human
Yes, I think there may be a cultural difference. I am from the U.S. and recently began working with folks primarily based in the U.K. This precise convention happens in almost every chat conversation initiated by them. It is maddening to me, but I think they believe it to be proper and polite. 

Or, now that I think about it, it may be a way to demand the attention of the recipient and their commitment to the ensuing request, as was the case in this text convo. Because I also find that I rarely get answers or anything completed following the first time I send something to any of them by email. I pretty much always have to send multiple pestering follow-up emails before I even get a response.

All of it drives me crazy and often results in the need to scream out loud when I communicate with them.
gpt
&gt;Yes, I think there may be a cultural difference. I am from the U.S. and recently began working with folks primarily based in the U.K. This precise convention happens in almost every chat conversation initiated by them. It is maddening to me, but I think they believe it to be proper and polite. 

That's not a UK thing, that's a "you work with annoying people" thing. Im in the UK work with Americans who do the same thing. It's just what some people do with work chats, not a specific cultural thing.