This may have been discussed previously, but I can’t find any references.

I find the ubiquitous custom of starting sentences with “So” annoying, and I’ve wondered where it originated. A Google search on the topic uncovered this interesting article containing a not-surprising assertion:

When a computer programmer answers a question, he often begins with the word ‘so’. Microsoft employees have long argued that the ‘so’ boom began with them.

So…what do you think about this and/or other popular language quirks?