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Why Call it Safecoin Magazine?

About this time last year, I wrote the following article for a project which we started working on: a magazine all about the SAFE Network. No idea just now whether or not this project will come to fruition, but I’m posting the article now because it has some good information and perspectives worth sharing. Enjoy.

Why the SAFE Network Matters

The Internet is broken, but a revolutionary technology that could fix it is coming.

by Daniel Morgan

The way data moves on the Internet hasn’t really changed in decades. From its inception until now, the Internet has become increasingly centralized, relying on growing acres of server farms. Each year the farms grow, users lose their ability to manage their...

The Decentralization Itch

[See below for an audio version, read by the author. And don’t overlook the Postscript.]

Decentralization. The buzzword of our times.

Increasing numbers and types of people are possessed of an elusive, but very real, visceral “itch” tied to the concept of decentralization. It’s hard to tell if the itch is caused by the concept or if the concept is...

Safecoin? The best thing to do is just forget about it

Some months ago, I wrote a post on the SAFE Network Community Forum, entitled Ruminations on the Beauty of Safecoin** (copied below). In it I made a number of points about why safecoin will be “the bomb” as a currency. I stand by all those opinions still.

Net Neutrality and the SAFE Network

Per Wikipedia, “Network Neutrality” is the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally. Essentially, the concept calls for a level playing field for all users, whether they be individuals or providers of high-bandwidth services like Netflix, HBO, etc., or whoever.

Theme Music Rotation, Open to Project SAFE Musicians

The SAFE Crossroads Podcast is now accepting submissions for intro/outro and bridge music for use on a rotating basis on the podcast. If used, the artist(s) will receive attribution both verbally on the podcast and in all show notes.

Additionally, proportional to the use, when music is used on a podcast, the artist will receive a percentage of the LTBcoin...

The Simpleton on LIFE IS PEOPLE

Great discussion of many things, including the philosophy underlying the SAFE Network and why it will improve the technical scene in general, and much more.

Check it out here.

Daniel Dabek Shows First Visuals of SAFE Exchange

Very apropos of the last post, this one deals with a very cool interview with Daniel on the LIFE IS PEOPLE google hangout here.

Great discussion overall, but right at the beginning is a great demo of some of the visuals that Infinity Algorithms is cooking up for the SAFE Network environment.

The LIFE IS PEOPLE videocast

Wow, was I surprised to be contacted by Tim Coomber from the Highlands of Scotland and absorb what he had to tell me. After a couple emails back and forth here is what he sent me to post for SAFE Crossroads consumption:

LIFE IS PEOPLE is a video podcast run through Google Hangout where host Tim Coomber (Artist/Writer/Poet) of...

Welcome to SAFE Crossroads

SAFE Crossroads is probably the first podcast and blog feed dedicated exclusively to the SAFE Network, its technology, ideas, applications, people and news. Whether you are new to the SAFE Network community or not, we hope you’ll enjoy our first podcast,  “What is the SAFE Network, anyway?” It’s meant to help get everyone on the same page.

Episode 55 - Real Vaults, Phase 1, with Nikita Baksalyar and Lioner Faber

It is a delight to have back two previous guests, Nikita Baksalyar and Lionel Faber, for a wide-ranging conversation that touches on many advances in SAFE Network development. Centering around the recently released Vault program library, we explore the implications of other advances, including new data types, how they relate to each other, safecoin integration, and a lot more.

The...

Episode 54 - From a UX Point of View, with Jim Collinson

The SAFE Network is a project of such large scope, doing things that have never been done, it can be hard to wrap one’s head around the whole thing without a lot of work. But in the end it is for people to use. It needs to be easily adopted and made to work by everyone.

As core development progresses...

Episode 53 - A QUIC, SAFE Solution, with Spandan Sharma

MaidSafe’s Crust (Connections in Rust) program library was necessary due to lack of existing tech to do what was needed for the SAFE Network.

The QUIC protocol has evolved and now provides a connection solution which the whole internet will likely be moving to–really great for the internet at large, and really handy for the SAFE Network’s development.

The SAFE...

Episode 52 - SAFE Network Fundamentals, Part 2, with David Irvine and Viv Rajkumar

This is part 2 of a wide ranging discussion about the SAFE Network, with the two people most familiar with all aspects of it, MaidSAFE’s Founder and CEO, David Irvine and CTO, Viv Rajkumar.

To guide our discussion we focused on the 21 Fundamentals of the SAFE Network as linked below. Amongst many other great insights, in this section David...

Episode 51 - SAFE Network Fundamentals, Part 1, with David Irvine and Viv Rajkumar

I had the honor of a 2+ hour conversation with the two people most familiar with all aspects of the SAFE Network, MaidSAFE’s Founder and CEO, David Irvine and CTO, Viv Rajkumar.

To guide our discussion we focused on the 21 Fundamentals of the SAFE Network as linked below. We had a very far-ranging discussion from high to medium altitude,...

Episode 50 - Native Android Development for SAFE, with Lionel Faber

As the various parts of SAFE Network development come together, facility for mobile access to and use of the network becomes a greater priority. Most individuals now use mobile devices for a large part, if not all, of their internet access.

Our guest is Lionel Faber, a front-end developer with MaidSafe’s remote office in Chennai, India.

We talk about mobile...

Episode 49 - What's so Special about the SAFE Browser?

MaidSafe just released a completely in-house version of the SAFE Browser with some very cutting-edge features and toggles to explore experimental features. It’s still rough-cut,as browser experiences go, but it opens the door to some very advanced development options as the SAFE Network matures toward readiness for launch.

Helping us get a feel for this step forward are two of...

Episode 48 - A Reintroduction and Update on the SAFE Network, with Dug Campbell

I’ve been wanting to do an overview of the SAFE Network for some time, as a sort of new introduction, an update on where the project has currently gotten to, and a view of what’s ahead.

Dug Campbell from MaidSafe helps me try to accomplish this, because I found it really hard to do by myself! Dug has gained a...

Episode 47 - Resource Description Framework, SOLID and SAFE

Simpleton says, “We go a bit geeky on this one, but in a way that should be very accessible to most anyone.”

Our guests on this episode are Josh Wilson and Gabriel Viganotti. Both are front-end developers for MaidSafe, working with Resource Description Framework (RDF) in a number of forms, to enhance the uses of the SAFE Network.

We really...

Episode 46 - Connection Needs of an Autonomous Network, with Spandan Sharma

Our guest today is Spandan Sharma from MaidSafe. We go over the results of the second community testing of Crust, the automated peer-to-peer connection library being developed by MaidSafe for the SAFE Network, and available for open source use by other P2P projects as they find useful.

In looking at all that the upper network layer needs the Crust connection...

Episode 45 - Approaches to Alpha 3, with Nikita Baksalyar

In this episode we catch up on some of the things that have been going on in SAFE Network development, where it’s been and what’s coming down the line now, including the roll out of public testing of the automated peer-to-peer connection library, Crust (standing for “Connected” “Rust”).

How do you ensure all the nodes of an ever-morphing P2P network...

Episode 44 - PARSEC Consensus Code Release, with Bartłomiej Kamiński

In late May, MaidSafe released the whitepaper for PARSEC (Protocol for Asynchronous, Reliable, Secure and Efficient Consensus).

This week MaidSafe published the open source code for implementing PARSEC so that it can be used by any other projects which would find it suits their needs.

This episode, we talk to Bartłomiej Kamiński, a developer who works on the MaidSafe team...

Episode 43 - PARSEC - Efficient, Provable Consensus has Arrived, with Pierre Chevalier

On Thursday evening, May 24th, 2018, MaidSafe released publically the PARSEC consensus protocol. PARSEC stands for Protocol for Asynchronous, Reliable, Secure and Efficient Consensus. It is being released under very permissive, open-source GPL and MIT licensing for potential use in a wide variety of circumstances by a wide variety of projects quite aside from the SAFE Network.

For the MaidSafe,...

Episode 42 - SAFE DevCon 2018 Highlights, with Dug Campbell

April 23rd brought core and app developers for the SAFE Network from all over the world to Ayr, Scotland for SAFE Dev Con 2018.

In this episode we hit the highpoints with Dug Campbell, head of Marketing and Outreach with MaidSafe.

The full video of the event is linked below, and the different speakers should soon be available as individual...

Episode 41 - App Devs Jump In, with Shane Armstrong

With the SAFE Alpha 2 Network running for some months now, providing a stable, improving interface for developers to interface with and learn to use the SAFE APIs, a lot of development activity is taking place by independant App Developers.

Our guest for this episode is Shane Armstrong, an experienced and successful software engineer who recently discovered the SAFE Network...

Episode 40 - The SAFE Network Primer

The main problems in talking about the SAFE Network are understanding (1) the enormous scope of the project, (2) the various specific innovations it represents, (3) how those innovations interrelate in the overall system, and (4) why the approach is fundamentally different than pretty much anything else that is being attempted.

Regardless of the technical level of the enquirer, Project...

Episode 39 - More on SAFE Apps, with Gabriel Viganotti

The SAFE Network is a huge software infrastructure project which is currently in Alpha 2, a network of distributed nodes, hosted on cloud servers for MaidSafe as the many intricacies of the architecture are fine tuned. A future iteration will return to nodes hosted by external participants at home, but Alpha 2 exposes a stable set of interfaces which developers...

Episode 38 - Event Sourcing on the SAFE Network

With the SAFE Network Alpha 2 release progressing forward with interfaces stabilizing, and a stable network to test against, application developers are starting to see and begin exploiting what is possible with such a network when it is ultimately in place.

Today we have a very interesting talk with Edward Holst, Software Architect and Lead Developer for a small fintech...

Episode 37 - SAFE Network, Alpha 2 Release, with Mobile

Nick Lambert joins us with to talk about the new Alpha 2 network just released by MaidSafe, as well as other aspects of the network development and what differentiates what MaidSafe is developing from all other existing projects.

Episode 36 - Nick Lambert, MaidSafe Update

Nick Lambert joins us with an update on development progress and the milestones recently passed, and expectations for the near future, as well as MaidSafe activities around the world.

Episode 35 - Viv Rajkumar, CTO MaidSafe

Viv Rajkumar is CTO of MaidSafe in Troon, Scotland.

We go into depth about the development process in general, the development experience at MaidSafe, and then catch up on what’s been going on with the forward motion of SAFE Network development.

Episode 34 - What's to Profit? with Nick Lambert

Today we have an in-depth visit with Nick Lambert, COO of MaidSafe, covering a lot about where MaidSafe has been, where it’s gotten to and where it’s going.

Episode 33 - Alpha Release

We have a chat with Francis Brunelle, a returning guest, about the recent Alpha Release of the MaidSafe Client, and a lot more about the state and progress of the SAFE Network project.

Episode 32 - David Irvine Speaks

David Irvine, Founder and lead developer of MaidSafe has faced a huge workload over the last couple of years, moving the SAFE Network towards launch. So much so that he hasn’t recorded an in-depth interview in over two years. That changed today.

Episode 31 - Harmen Klink

We’re back again with Harmen Klink, talking about further innovations on the Decorum decentralized forum and social connection protocol. We talk about a web of trust function which will make the protocol very handy at evaluating one’s connections and resisting unwanted connections. Also we talk about the Project Decorum crowdsale, and the value proposition behind it. And much more.

Episode 30 - Decorum and SAFE Altcoins

Great news about the progress of the SAFE Network and imminent release of a Minimum Viable Product, then an interview with Harmen Klink, the developer of the Decorum (Decentralized forum) protocol, which will enable fully functional and flexible implementations for comments sections, forums, and so forth, on the decentralized SAFE Network.

Episode 29 - Class X, Graduation Review, All Invited

Come one, come all, to the last planned class of the SAFE Network School.

We do a high-level overview of what we know about the SAFE Network in a way that even parents, friends and family of the proud graduates will be warmed with what they learn, and be proud of those who have worked so hard to get closer...

Episode 28 - Class IX, Let's Grok Safecoin

grok [Martian] literally meaning “to drink” but taken to mean “to understand at a deep, intuitive level.” (from the novel Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein, a story about a human raised by Martians)

Having explored the SAFE Network from end to end through our School series so far, in this Class we are finally ready let safecoin...

SAFE Crossroads Host, on Crypto Gossip

Peter Robertson is one of the hosts of Crypto Gossip, a regular podcast out of Melbourne. Recently, with a new sub-theme show called CryptoGoss, One-on-One, he took some time to scratch under the surface and find out a bit more about me, John Ferguson, the Simpleton of Project SAFE.

Episode 27 - Class VIII, The Parts of the Heart

First off its some Simpleton perspective on the Safe Exchange, followed by answering some listener questions.

Then it’s full bore into Class VIII of the SAFE Network School, examining the key persona types and functions in the Vaults that form the heart of the SAFE Network. This one may be a bit of brain work, but it’s worth it.

Episode 26 - Free Trade for Real, The Safe Exchange

History in the making. Exaggeration? You be the judge. This last week Daniel Dabek announced the release of the whitepaper on the new Safe Exchange. More than just a protocol, it is the core tool kit necessary to establish a decentralized contract marketplace, via which anyone will be capable of exchanging with anyone, anywhere, according to prearranged contractual conditions.

Episode 25 - App Time

We take an aside from the SAFE Network School this week due to time constraints. But we do take a bit of time to visit with Francis Brunelle from the Montreal SAFE Pod and get some insights about app development on the SAFE Network. The doors are open to those who are ready to start making meaningful apps for the...

Episode 24 - Class VII, No 3rd Party Needed

Class VII of the School of the SAFE Network takes us to the realm of Self-Authentication, something else new to the world which will first appear with the SAFE Network, but will certainly become a standard for those who wish to have true control over their data and electronic relationships.

It is all about you and the network. That’s all....

Episode 23 - Class VI, Autonomous, Really?

In Class VI of SAFE Network School, we round out a deeper view of the remaining component factors necessary to establishing and maintaining the SAFE Network as an autonomous entity.

We’ve come far pilgrims, and through the heaviest going–hopefully–but there is more to come. So take time to really let everything we’ve covered so far sink in. Put in some...

Episode 22 - Class V, Connecting All

Class V of the School of the SAFE Network brings clarity on another component of the SAFE Network configuration which is critical to the autonomous functioning of the network.

We explore some of the problems and solutions of peer-to-peer networking, and explore some of the key terminology necessary to communicating about it.

We really only scratch the surface enough to...

Episode 21 - Class IV, Reaching Bedrock

In Class IV of the SAFE Network School we get down to bedrock on one of the most important aspects of the SAFE Network. We have loads of fun, actually. It’s back to school for sure, but also has a bright gem of entertainment to help bring the lesson home.

With this material we are able to get our feet...

Episode 20 - Class III, Deep and Wide

In Class III of the SAFE Network School we break down some of the underlying computer technology needed to get a better grip on why the SAFE Network can do what it is designed to do. We take a closer look at the Vault structure and get an understanding of what a distributed hash table is about, and much more....

Episode 19 - Class II, Going Deeper

Class II of the SAFE Network School takes us deeper. We probe down and start to pull apart the great intricacy of the SAFE Network by closely examining the key elements that make it work. But not too fast or overwhelmingly. You’ll be surprised how understandable it is when guided by a Simpleton who has already done most of the...

Episode 18 - Class I, SAFE Network School

We’re happy to announce the opening of the Simpleton’s School of the SAFE Network.

Since the SAFE Network is being built on a very different combination of fundamentals than has ever been used before and because it is so intricate, it’s not possible to just wade in and get a full picture of it without some work. This is especially...

Episode 17 - Surfing the SAFE Network

Another interview on The Crypto Show, talking more basics about the SAFE Network, and an interview with Will Gallo, member of the San Francisco SAFE Pod, regarding application–proposed as well as well developed–to run on top of the SAFE Network. The field for creation is wide open and waiting for talented coders to get busy.

Episode 16 - René van de Polder, Proponent of the Exponent

René De Polder is very involved in a number of projects in the crypto space, most especially the SAFE Network. He shares his thoughts and experiences as a participant in various projects and his experiences as a forum moderator. He also has some great insights as to the expansion of technical progress and the SAFE Network in particular.

Special #1 - Simpleton and Ernest Hancock, Revisited

This is the first in a series special edition SAFE Crossroads podcasts. Specials will contain content not formally part of the main series which play on the Let’s Talk Bitcoin Network, but which may yet be of interest to SAFE Crossroads followers.

Episode 15 - Getting Technical, with Ben Bollen

Things are rocking at MaidSafe in Troon, and around the world, with the initial SAFE Network software installers just released. We talk with MaidSafe core developer Ben Bollen about the release and what it means (and what it doesn’t mean), then go on to get technical about some very important improvements in the network architecture that are enabling incredible innovation...

Episode 14 - Max Hernandez, A Frontier on Every Doorstep

Your host and Max Hernandez, author of Thieves Emporium, take time to explore the new frontier, the electronic frontier, where people have new choices. We cover aspect of this gripping and educational tale, and then turn to utilize Max’s knowledge and experience to examine the potential effects of the SAFE Network and similar technologies on the shape and form of...

Episode 13 - Rich Beer and The Crypto Show

This week chronicles a mini adventure I had trying to connect with others in the south Texas area who might want to form a meet-up regarding the SAFE Network. It started with a post on the SAFE Network Community Forum, on to connecting with and appearing on The Crypto Show, and back to an interview with the Project...

Episode 12 - David Yamanaka, A Network Aborning

We have the pleasure of talking with David Yamanaka, a consumer experience specialist and avid supporter and pursuer of that which empowers the individual. He has been a very active member in the Project SAFE community and is great at doing all manner of quantitative analyses regarding any system you might throw at him.

The installers are coming!!

Episode 11 - Francis Brunelle, Community in Action

First off we start this episode with several pieces very encouraging news from the MaidSafe development team.

Then we have a chat with one of the most active Project SAFE community members, Francis Brunelle, from Montreal, Canada. Francis hosts the largest SAFE Network meet-up in the world and is extremely active pursuing various projects related to forwarding the SAFE Network,...

Episode 10 - Paige Peterson and the Seeds of SAFE

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Paige Peterson, who works for MaidSafe in the area of community and development outreach, and much more.

Episode 9 - The SAFE Network Is For People

In this episode we talk to two Project SAFE Community members, James Lindsey and David McCauley, about their involvement in the project and why they are passionate to see it carried through into operation.

Episode 8 - Perspectives on Africa, Nhial Majok

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Nhial Majok, a Project SAFE member who is a system administrator for backup and storage with IBM Australia. He reached out recently to share some insights on the impact of Bitcoin and the SAFE Network on his home continent of Africa.

Episode 7 - A Different Perspective, Chris Tipper

In March of this year, an unexpected type of post appeared on the SAFE Network community forum. It was from a teacher with a very unique take on what is being undertaken in Project SAFE, and the effect it was having on a lot of students. This is a very refreshing look to the future, and a shining example...

Episode 6 - OFFICIAL UPDATE from MaidSafe

Today we’re excited to share an interview and update from Nick Lambert, Chief Operating Officer of MaidSafe. A whole lot has been happening in the last few months, and it’s the kind of news a lot of people have been waiting to hear. This is the first “official update” from the MaidSafe team in a long while. Read the full...

Episode 5 - Tim Coomber on the New Renaissance

We are delighted to present a recap of important aspects of the SAFE Network ecosystem and why they are important, followed by a great interview with Tim Coomber of Scotland, one of the hosts of the LIFE IS PEOPLE videocast on Google Hangouts/Youtube. We explore the subject of how the SAFE Network–through the application N99 (Network 99)–will allow content creators...

Episode 4 - Ben Bollen Talks Dessert, and Rust on Bare Metal

This episode, we are delighted to have an interview with MaidSafe Core Developer, Benjamin Bollen, starting with topics of basic technology and working our way to why the team decided to adopt a new programming language of MaidSafe technology so late in the game. There are lots of exciting ramifications of this.

Episode 3 - Simpleton Meets Ernest Hancock

I was recently invited to appear on Declare Your Independence, with Ernest Hancock. From my observations an interview with Ernie is almost always a pretty wild ride, but we survived it. We had fun and I think you’ll find it interesting.

Episode 2 - Meet the Future of Commerce

We’re very happy to present an interview with Daniel Dabek, the Co-founder and CEO of Infinity Algorithms, the first company created specifically to exploit the SAFE Network commercially. We talk about Daniel’s remarkable background and fully break down (simply) the first project of Infinity Algorithms, SafeX, the technology which will allow truly decentralized commerce with the launch of the SAFE...

Episode 1 - What is the SAFE Network, anyway?

Welcome to the first episode of the podcast at the Crossroads of the SAFE Network. The SAFE Network is the first truly grassroots Internet with Secure Access For Everyone, where Privacy, Security and Freedom are the defaults.

It’s coming fast! Listen in and get ahead of the curve!