Keep the conversation going with small talk. This keeps the conversation light and simple, which is especially useful for people who are still getting to know one another better. Use small talk to establish rapport and similarities rather than set each other up for an opinionated argument.
Small talk encompasses such topics as your blog or website, the purchase of a new car, house renovations, your kids' artwork prize, vacation plans, your newly planted garden, a good book you've just read, etc.
Small talk is not politics, religion, nuclear disarmament or fusion, or criticizing anybody, especially not the host or the other posters.
Although talking about the weather is a cliche, if there's something unusual about the weather, it's allowed.
There are four people on this bus sitting close together: Mary, John, and two youngsters, Alex and Cassidy. You can be any one of the four. It's up to posters to decide the relationships in the group, if any, and who is speaking.
