Were you doing this hugs stuff that was mentioned in the thread about the last one? I wasn't there, but I wonder what is the point, this kind of sentimental, emotional stuff. Does this kind of emotional closeness help the exchange of ideas and information? I would think it is the opposite that helps it: being very impersonal, on surname terms and so on. I mean emotional closeness could faciliate exchange of the "X is really cool, just because I have good feelings about X" type, and you probably don't want it, you probably want exchange of the "X is really useful, because evidence" type and I would think some "coldness" helps more there. Or where did the idea come from? Was the opposite idea (distance, formality,surname terms etc.) tested previously?

However on a meta level I approve of tags, as they are Tell Culture and if they very idea of hugs and emotional closeness comes up at all, tell-culture is probably the only non-awkward way to handle it.