| You've done this before. You've met someone at a convention, or in a store, or here on E2, and known, just from the small amounts of talking that you've done, that you and the other person can get along just fine.
But then there comes that annoying period of "Oh, do you like this?", "What offends you?", "Do you prefer hot grits or petrification?".
To circumvent this situation, I have recently been a big fan of straight out Q&A. It's a game, really. As long as you're dealing with someone who can keep up with you, the two of you can find out a lot about each other in a short amount of time without the usual bullshit baggage.
Excerpt for example's sake:
Dialogue: Oookay, The Nightmare Before Christmas?
Friend: You gotta love Danny Elfman and Tim Burton. Probably my favorite musical comedy.
Okay, A.) Luke Skywalker, B.) Han Solo, or C.) Lando Calrissian?
Dialogue: D.) Yoda. Strong with the force was he, yeees.
Neal Stephenson?
Friend: I didn't like Snow Crash that much, I haven't had a chance to read Cryptonomicon yet, but I really like Diamond Age.
Obviously, we had a lot in common, so the back and forth went quickly, but when you have differing opinions, they can come to light immediately, and provide fodder for discussion where otherwise you might experience that "new person" awkwardness.
Advice from one of the founding members of The Socially Inept Society of America. | 
