User:Duffs10

George Vasilopoulos (duffs10)

— Wikipedian ♂ —
George in 2012
Born	1974 (1974) (age 50) Canada
Nationality	British
Country	UK
Current location	London
Languages	English (native) French (intermediate) Greek (conversational)
Education and employment
Occupation	Graphic Designer Photographer
Hobbies, interests, and beliefs
Hobbies	Dual-sport motorcycling Travelling Cooking
Contact info
Blog	Tales of (light) Gelände Straße adventure

I am a British graphic designer, photographer and avid dual-sport biker. This is my Wikipedia user page.

This user is a participant in WikiProject Motorcycling.

A personal note

I choose not to hide behind a thin veil of anonymity because I believe transparency and integrity are important parts of contributing to any online community. I work hard to maintain my credibility and will not type something from the comfort of my sitting room that I wouldn't say to someone in person. I request the same in return.

My reason for editing pages is simple—if I can't find what I'm looking for in an article, someone else hasn't found what they're looking for in that article. I make edits because I genuinely wish to make improvements, not because I have callous motives. This is for the benefit of Wikipedia users and not for my personal gain—I recognise that any edits I make will have little to no benefit to me, personally, outside in the real world where I spend the majority of my life.

My early life

I was born in Canada in 1974. My father was a mechanic and my mother was an author.

I spent my childhood between Canada and Europe. I graduated with honours from secondary school and attended university where I intended to qualify as a programmer. After realising that programming made me want to grot myself, I began apprenticing at a local graphic design company where I discovered my passion for brand identity, typography and photography. I advanced my career through independent study, experimentation and experience.

Doing what I love

I started my career in graphic design during secondary school as managing editor of the school yearbook. This progressed to assisting with print advertisements for a local automotive dealership. By the mid-90s, I had led on or contributed to projects for companies in several North American cities. I worked briefly for a design company but resigned due to a toxic and unsupportive work environment.

Destined for bigger things, I taught entry-level graphic design at a community college in a trial programme to provide new skills to people unable to continue their careers due to injury. I then started my own business with a recent graphic design graduate. The company was successful, securing clients ranging from local businesses to government agencies.

In the late 90s, my partner and I dissolved the business so I could take on a new role as Graphic Design Coordinator at an international film school and so she could pursue a new career as an estate agent.

I began to look for new challenges and in 2003 travelled to Europe to evaluate the possibility of relocating. In 2004 I started working at a hospital where I am part of the Management Executive team in a graphic design management role and the organisation's in-house photographer.

A few stats about me

I live in West London UK.

I am an avid biker with a preference for BMW GS motorcycles and enjoy exploring BOATs and overlanding. I plan to complete a round-the-world trip in future, and am a regular contributor to several adventure and motorcycle forums.

I am a flexitarian and keen cook, favouring Mediterranean and Asian cuisine.

I write a blog which is centred on motorcycling and cooking. Besides English, I speak French and Greek conversationally.

Recent Wikipedia contributions

• BMW F800GT—wrote new article
• BMW GS parallel-twin—enhanced detail relating to 2013 updates and added information about special editions and recalls
• BMW R1200GS—enhanced detail relating to redesigned 2013 R1200GS