Commenter Hamish Lamont is exactly the type of person you want as part of an online community. He’s measured and thoughtful, but doesn’t mind a little healthy debate. He holds a deep appreciation for the things those around him are passionate about — in this case, motorcycles. As a rider, Hamish views building a motorcycle as the ultimate form of creative self-expression. And his site of choice to discuss this creative outlet is Bike Exif. Read on to see why.
Q: What are your favorite sites to visit and why?
A: Sites like Bike EXIF are my favourites, because I’m a huge fan of custom motorcycles. I’m building one myself. Custom bikes represent creativity and culture as well as community, and for the builder/rider are a great form of self expression.
Q: What types of stories lead to good discussions?
A: The more depth a story has, the better. I like the human element: the quest, triumph over adversity, etc, but I also love the unusual, the controversial and the innovative.
Q: How do you know you’ve captured your thought well?
A: Sometimes I think I’ve captured some insight, and others don’t. Sometimes others think I have and it was just the first thing that came into my head. The number of likes or comments (agreeing or disagreeing) is obviously one measure of that.
Q: Why did you choose the screen name or avatar you did?
A: I post under my name because I think too many people conveniently hide behind the anonymity of the net, and I stand behind my opinions. Ironically, as a motorcyclist (and poster on motorcycle related sites) my Motorcycle Helmet is my “face”. My Avatar is a design for a new Helmet, which I drew on my computer. =)
Q: What kind of feedback or reaction are you looking for when you comment?
A: I try to get some insight as to the thoughts of the person who the blog is about and reflect some of that in my comments. My comments are always considered but subjective. Sometimes I’ll disagree with everyone else who has posted. Measured debate is always fun! When the person who the blog is about responds to my comment, I know I’m on the right track.
Up-vote or Down-vote?
