The nice thing about networking in general, is that most people are trying to keep you from losing face. That's as uncomfortable for them as it is for you. This makes networking for someone who is open, considerate, and honest a very safe social activity to engage in. In fact, it's also true that people in networking situations are looking for help. They need something, otherwise, why are they networking?

Just do your best to be a nice person, and look for opportunities to create value for others.

If you have any skill with 2D game animation, I'm looking for some short pieces that have to be done with panache. Send me email at my HN username at gmail dot com, if you are interested.