Ontology Harbinger Interview Series: Polaris

This is an ongoing series featuring Ontology’s Harbingers. Harbingers are exceptional leaders that help Ontology grow its community and ecosystem, making it an ever-stronger blockchain, and decentralized identity and data leader.

In the 14th interview in this series, Ontology speaks with Polaris, administrator of our English community.

1. How did you hear about Ontology? What drew you to Ontology?

I have been a Neo supporter, and from the Neo reddit group I found out about Ontology and the airdrop which was given to Neo holders. Unfortunately, I left it very late to sign up for the newsletter, so I missed the 1000 ONT airdrop and only got a small amount of ONT from holding my NEO’s. I was fascinated when I looked at Ontology’s whitepaper, and how they envision an extremely fast blockchain for businesses and identity as the main USP. I think after reading the whitepaper, I was convinced that the way Ontology envision the future is the right way, andthat drew me towards Ontology

2. Why did you become a supporter of Ontology and a champion of its brand?

The ever-evolving blockchain industry is still at an early stage where a combination of many variables make up the whole industry. We have managed to understand how a decentralized distributed ledger works, how to create smart contracts on that distributed ledger, and to create content and immortalize it on the blockchain. However, identity is not something which the industry is fully focused on, instead a more anarchical utopia is often created where no one has a connection to identity and these ideologies iterate that somehow the worlds economy will run fine with a rogue infrastructure. I think the fact that Ontology has focused on identity and decentralized trust from the very beginning gives me a clear indicator that the theme is to bring real use cases from the technology, and that’s what really excites me because real use cases of the blockchain will promote a smart economy, a fairer and more transparent economy, while not having to compromise our privacy. This eventually will translate to an economy which will run on centralized and decentralized platforms, and being part of that future is something I always wanted to do. The fact that my understanding of technology usage is aligned with Ontologies vision, makes me want to be a champion of the brand.

3. What’s the key role of a Harbinger? What’s your favorite thing about being a Harbinger?

I love the word Harbinger, it means someone who initiates changes. Being given the freedom to bring ideas to the table, while receiving all the support I need, is something I cherish greatly. The key role, from my point of view, is to represent Ontology and bridge the gap between the community and the team. To establish deeper connections with the community. To be able to get the general sentiment from the community about the project and be able to relay that onto the team. To think of innovative idea to further drive user/community engagement. To think of innovative ideas to educate about the industry and the eco system in general.

4. Why is being part of the Ontology community important to you?

Being part of any community is something we as humans have been deeply ingrained to do. We have always been very tribal towards our culture, geographical location, genetics etc. Now, we are beginning to realize that those things don’t matter and the only way forward is to be as one. We need to be more integrated towards how we do business and how we interact. Ontology’s vision and global community gives me that feeling of belonging, where my understanding of the future is the same as a lot of others. That is why this community is important for me.

5. How is Ontology’s community different from other blockchain communities, is there anything that makes it stand out?

Well, we all want a decentralized future but we all also want our assets to be pegged with real life identity so that there is some sort of legal connection with the asset. If the future will be using blockchain technology, then I cannot see that happening without identity and trust. Without these two factors, future adoption will be halted. I think a lot of members from the community agree on this. So having realistic expectation of the future is what makes this community stand out. They support decentralized identity and having full control of one’s data.

6. What do you use as your key channels for engagement with the Ontology community and why? Would you like to see any others?

Currently I am using real life interactions with business owners and corporations. I’m trying to make them understand the benefits of using blockchain, not just as a store of value but as a precursor towards a completely new, fairer industry. I also use telegram, discord, and twitter spaces for my socials. Absolutely I would like to see more educational videos on YouTube and all other platforms.

7. Can you share a memorable experience or something you’ve learned from being a Harbinger? What advice would you give to someone looking to become a Harbinger?

I have had many memorable experiences being part of the eco system, I have been part of the community in all the ups and downs and to be honest it’s been a great journey so far. I remember not seeing my tokens on my wallet once and being supported by the community, it was a UI problem which eventually got sorted. Along the journey I have learnt so much from all the other admins/harbingers, and without their support I don’t think I would be a harbinger today. So my advice to all new community members/potential harbingers would be to not be afraid to ask and learn, we are here to support everyone and equip them with the correct knowledge and support so they can resonate on that with others.

8. How would you describe the Ontology community in three words?

Global, Passionate, Loyal

9. How do you think Ontology could expand its community going forward? What would you like to see more/less of? What kinds of things do you see community members do that you think help our community grow?

I am quite happy with the way the current community engagement works. To improve it even further, we might need to think about more innovative ways. Things like a NFT marketplace, where artist and musicians mint their work using Ontology’s blockchain, or having a monthly roundup on twitter spaces.

10. What do you see as the key milestones for Ontology and how can the community help with achieving these?

The completion of EVM would be a huge milestone for Ontology, and with that the eco system will attract a lot of developers and blockchain enthusiasts. The community needs to be ready to help and educate the new members about the benefits of DID, OSCORE, and cheap transaction costs, all while controlling their privacy. If all the Harbingers and members of the community keep the user engagement high, that will ensure that this technology can be widely accepted by the globe.

To learn more about Ontology’s Harbinger Program and how you can get involved, check out our updated GUIDE.

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