It just goes to show that people have very different views. I think when I hear people thinking out loud (ums and ahs) it's a marker that they are actually engaging with the question, thinking through an answer and not bullshitting without thinking.
replyI agree to you, when it's in person.
I think what your describing is mostly the beginning of an answer.
replyJust randoms "um" inbetween because your struggling to build sentences can get annoying both in person and online
Just sit there in silence whilst you cogitate.
replythis is the move
replySpace fillers are sadly important for group settings where you need to finish a thought before someone interjects.
replyBut hearing them from an interviewee drives me crazy, along with "sort of", "kind of", etc. I once counted all of the "sorta"s in an NPR interview, it was brutal.
"Ummm, I think I agree with this description" vs "I, think, umm, I agree with, umm, this description"
replyThe first one indicates something along the lines of "thinking, please stand by". The second one is a struggle.