In this pilot episode of THE CHANCELLOR'S VIP ROOM, we will get to know our beloved Junta, Miss Banano 2019 and the founder of CryptoMonkeys, SOGGYAPPLEPIE in an intimate interview at the Supreme Chancellor's Office, located at the heart of the Capital of the Banano Republic! ----- ----- ----- -----
SoggyApplePie = SOG
Supreme Chancellor Palpatine = PALP
PALP: Welcome to the Chancellor's VIP room, most esteemed Soggy! Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to take part in my latest initiative, aimed at helping our Community members get to know their favourite 'Banano Mods' better! SOG: You are welcome, Chancellor! Pleasure to be here.
PALP: So, let's start with the obvious question: how did your journey in crypto currency begin?
SOG: Well, in 2018, I first heard about and looked into BTC, ETH and DOGE(!), but that really was the extent of it. I felt overwhelmed by the technical details, and I didn't feel interested in embarking on that journey alone...
PALP: ... but you aren't really alone on this, are you? I understand that our Community Manager Oops is also in this project...
SOG: ... right! About that: in January 2019, Oops - my brother - managed to convince me to join BANANO, and that really is the beginning of my crypto journey. I was HOOKED the first time I received or sent BANANO and NANO (RIP naneroos).
PALP: I felt exactly the same! When I first arrived in the Jungle, I remember saying, ''gosh, Bananos are REALLY flying all over the place like crazy!'' These days, with Banano's price rising, it's not as crazy as before, but we're still a generous bunch!
Now, search your memories: having entered the Banano Community, what were your first impressions, and what made you stay? I think both you and I have seen users who come and go on the server within a matter of minutes; some others decide to stick around, but committing to a project for well over three years... that's real love!
SOG: Growing up I used to spend a lot of time interacting in online communities and learning how to read and write code. I loved back- and front-end development and used to create websites full of graphics, codes, and tutorials for others to use and learn from. As I got older, I focused more on developing my artistic skills and sort of fell out of touch with my love for technology. So, Oops caught my interest in BANANO when he mentioned it was full of shitposters, memes, and coders. I didn’t have much knowledge/interest in cryptocurrency, but I was excited to connect with otherwise likeminded people. What sold me for the long haul though was how I immediately felt welcomed- even like I belonged- in a community where I knew almost nobody and nothing about. My interest in cryptocurrency grew pretty rapidly from there.
PALP: You mentioned your artistic skills, and I think all of us are amazed by how rapidly Banano's NFT project CryptoMonkeys is developing, and the premium quality at which these Digital assets are being minted. Let's talk about it in greater detail in a bit, but first, let's refocus the limelight back onto your career here in the Republic!
SOG: ''Career'' is quite a strong word!
PALP: Well, from Jungle Fanta to Primate, Banano Police to Community Manager and all the way to Junta... if this isn't a successful career in Banano, i don't know what is! But here's the question: as one of our Community Managers - which include the likes of Bantano, Purian, Oops, Kron, Chris and yourself - what is the most significant challenge, and how, in your opinion, do you view the idea of 'moderation', or 'modding'?
SOG: This is quite the question! Sometimes, you just need to be straight with the facts, while at other times, things are not so clear cut. Right and wrong isn't exactly like the Jedi and the Sith!
PALP: That certainly is an interesting analogy... carry on, please!
SOG: The truth is, neither moderating nor managing can be done only based on personal perception and feeling, and so you rely on the many voices of the community and your team mates to help guide you. The problem - and blessing - is, in such a diverse community, there will always be very conflicting personalities and points of view. it is your responsibility to hear and consider them all and act appropriately.
PALP: ... having been a member of the Senate for a while now, and working as its leader, I know all the better how difficult it is to balance conflicting perspectives. Worst of all, when you have to execute commands that goes against your own instinct, judgement and preferences...
SOG: Well, and I thought you WERE the Senate! But in all honesty, sometimes you have to enforce rules / sanctions you don’t agree with, or take the lead in discussing / solving an issue because it’s your responsibility to speak on behalf of others. Sometimes one solution somewhere causes a new problem elsewhere. It can definitely be challenging at times to correctly perceive the needs of the community.
PALP: ... and how are you handling your workload with the added role as a Junta? Are the challenges significantly different?
SOG: In a way, I suppose that's true: the challenges from being a 'mod' came from being pulled in so many directions. The challenges as Junta mostly feel a lot more concentrated and personal: is what I am contributing benefiting the community/project as much as I hope/intend, do people like it, what more is there to do, etc. I still deal with a lot of the things I used to deal with, but my focus is a lot more on development... and the challenges that stem with that.
PALP: On the subject of challenges... you are also the founder of Banano's very own NFT project, CryptoMonkeys. Tell us a little about that, and whether that has changed how you split your attention between the main Banano project and the CryptoMonkeys project.
SOG: I didn’t know anything about NFTs until Bantano approached me with the idea of making some for BANANO. I immediately was interested in the idea because I loved collecting Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Magic cards. The idea was to create a series of collectible BANANO NFTs that could eventually be gamified.
As for balancing duties/energies, I think it comes fairly easily because I’ve never stopped enjoying going into the jungle. I still hangout in there everyday and observe tons of stuff, which means I also want to stay involved with the mods, stay involved with the CMs, and so forth. Finding the balance comes from the jungle being our home (and our greatest asset) and I want to help grow and take care of it, and that means staying involved with the ecosystem and the community.
PALP: With gamification having been part of Banano's on-going distribution method, NFT seems like a natural progression - or extension - of the Banano project, doesn't it?
SOG: I could not agree more! Even seeing the evolving romance between memes and NFTs has been super fun and interesting.
PALP: Looking ahead... is there something currently in development that particularly excites you?
SOG: There’s lots of developments coming for banano and the side projects within banano (The Daily Peel, cryptomonKeys), like games, faucets, and a merch store. I’m super excited to be bringing back BANANO merch in particular, as I didn’t get some when I had my chance the first time. Andru has been creating some super cool designs and we are excited to host an upcoming merch design contest (details to come). My ultimate hope is that people continue to find new and innovative ways to contribute to BANANO and digital asset education, and continue the fun and welcoming culture of the jungle.. because that’s what inspires me the most about this project and no doubt inspires others. (insert :BebeHeart:)
PALP: Now... onto something a little less serious...
SOG: Oh? (insert :Pog:)
PALP: Tell us the story behind the moniker of 'SoggyApplePie'. (insert :Raugh:)
SOG: Well this is taking a turn for the unexpected! I wish I could tell this hilarious and clever story about how 'SoggyApplePie' came to be, but the reality was: I was visiting my family for the Christmas holidays and decided to indulge in some dessert that had been left out on the counter for more days than is reasonable. I was just eating a very old, very soggy apple pie while I was creating my Discord account to join BANANO.
PALP: Sometimes the most remarkable user monikers are creating out of accidents. But look where we are, you have become one of the most central meme icons in Banano Culture, all because of an old Christmas delicacy. And on a side note, you were the Republic's Miss Banano 2019...
SOG: ... and you are the Republic's Mr. Banano 2020!
PALP: Aaaaand... if you were to offer our potential Miss-Banano-soon-to-be some advice... what would they be?
SOG: It's simple: whatever you're doing, do it the best you can... confront your strengths and weakness with honesty and humility, share and celebrate your accomplishments and failures with banfam, aaaaaaaand.... SHITPOST UNTIL YOU MAKE IT! PALP: Saving the best for last huh!
SOG: It's what we do best!
PALP: So, here's a challenge to warp things up - offer a ''Banano for Dummies'' intro in under 20 wards, without ''free'', ''instant'', and ''potassium rich''!
SOG: Hmm... ''A community of monkeys throwing bananas at one another to show support, and throwing poop in between, just because.'' Take that!
PALP: A worthy answer to a daunting question! Thank you for your time, soggiest one!
SOG: Thank you, Supreme Chancellor!
----- ----- ----- -----
SPOILERS: the next esteemed member of the Republic to be interviewed on this series is the mathematical genius, Primate Maffs! Stay tuned!
