https://www.reddit.com/r/NewToReddit/comments/ph6vxv/more_big_talk_about_small_talk/
created by llamageddon01 on 03/09/2021 at 15:00 UTC*
10 upvotes, 1 top-level comments (showing 1)
Starting a conversation is hard, and if like me you’re British, highly embarrassing too, what what. Pre-Covid, I’ve been in rooms full of highly intelligent people in expensive cocktail attire where everybody was so anxious about making a good impression or not making a faux-pas (or even both!), most of them were just shuffling awkwardly in place, clutching their tepid champagne glasses tightly to almost shattering point, and looking vaguely but intently into the middle distance rather than daring to start a conversation with the stranger just feet away from them “just in case”.
Breaking that ice is a delicate process. You need to keep it short and fairly neutral. I know this because I am that apocryphal person who once remarked to someone standing alone looking awkward at a very dull art exhibition opening that I could see everyone felt there was something lacking in the presentation, only to find he was the organiser.
In a real life situation, our confidence, tone, and body language will help alleviate people’s wariness at the flagrant violation of a social norm of long standing, but words on a screen don’t do this. Communication online therefore needs a different approach but the same few tricks I use IRL can still be employed in online situations where appropriate. Reddit-centric circumstances and phrases can include:
That last one is my special gift to you as it also has the capability of summoning two of Reddit’s Roaming Bots; Haikusbot and Eyebleachbot.
Again, that last one also has the capability of summoning Haikusbot so long as that sub hasn’t barred it from entry.
Again, that last one can also summon Haikusbot if it’s allowed. And if it recognises “being” as two syllables, not one.
And that last one is another that can summon Haikusbot if it’s allowed.
And yet again, that last one also has the added bonus of summoning Haikusbot. I’m too good to you all.
You might have noticed that my five different opening gambits aren’t actually that different. Ice breaking is a delicate thing and has to be full of subtle nuance for it to work effectively. Many of those comments appear to be negative, but as they are also playful they aren’t designed to offend but are likely to amuse the reader and get them “on side”. Being self-deprecating also assures the listener you don’t think you’re “better than them”, so because I’m the llama llecturer and you’re not, I chose to employ *The Shared Experience* and *The innocent abroad* in my introduction here. Did you spot them?
Small talk is social glue. It exists solely to build up social connection both in real and online life. But it involves your reaching out to strangers, which some find anxiety-provoking. When you worry less about whether you’re being interesting and, instead, show an active interest in others, you become instantly likeable. Which gets the upvotes!
......... *And Finally...*
To go with this, here’s part one of Big Talk about Small Talk[1]; a relevant post about Knowing Your Audience, Asking Questions & Dealing With Trolls[2], and the Encyclopaedia Redditica definition Lost for Words[3] (you’ll need to scroll down).
1: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewToReddit/comments/ovodna/sunday_funday/
2: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewToReddit/comments/oddwsk/sunday_funday/
3: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewToReddit/comments/lw4gp4/a_guide_to_reddit_lingo/guht7e5/
Comment by MightyMitos19 at 06/09/2021 at 13:03 UTC
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I'm so disappointed that I missed this post 2 days ago when it was published, this is great.
Is the Haiku bot Summoned anywhere allowed With my own haiku?
Or, as I expect, Does it only recognize Predetermined poems?