ham,

I am assuming that is a sincere question and you want a sincere answer.

The first rule is you must not be pushy or intrusive. You cannot go out and "capture" friends. You must be patient and attract them to you. You must not be obnoxious or intrusive. You must not force your way into conversations. If the person you are talking to rolls her eyes or crosses his arms, or looks away, back off and shut up, go away and come back another day, you are being obnoxious.

I mention this because most people who have trouble making friends are severely guilty of this and are not aware of it. Most of them do not recognize the signs the other person is expressing via facial expressions or body language.

The second rule is that to have a friend, you must be a friend.
Help people out. Do not expect thanks or repayment. If you see their print job on the printer, take it to them and lay it on their desk. If they see you, just smile, do not try to start a conversation. If they say "thank you", say "you're welcome" - nothing more. Eventually thay will say more than just thank you. Wait for that to happen.

If they are having trouble with an issue you are good at, offer to help. Do not butt in and tell them what to do.

You can lose the opportunity to make a friend in the blink of an eye or the slip of a lip but it takes weeks or months to make a friend. Hurrying is the absolute worst thing you can do.

Read up on body language and learn the signs of boredom or rejection.
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In the world of friendship (online, social networking, or walking around your office) you gotta BE a friend to have a friend. Make a gentle and subtle offer. Then wait patiently. If one fails, try others. (People, that is.) Meanwhile, enjoy.
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