The SAFE network is a platform that developers can build applications on.
The SAFE network will appear to users as a range of applications, web sites and tools that are very familiar, in many cases indistinguishable from the applications in use today. A major difference though will be that on login to the network there should be no further requirements to login to any web site application or service. The SAFE network creates many cryptographically secure keys and these can effectively provide a challenge response mechanism to allow access to any service. This access can be recorded by the service in a manner that remembers previous actions such as shopping baskets, pages read...etc...
##Advantages
A significant advantage of the SAFE network will be that no data is left on the computer in use. This means that all browsing history, actions taken and personal data will be encrypted and stored ready for access the next time you log in, from any location. There is no concept of synchronisation of data across machines or backups, just one set of data that is accessed from many devices. This is all automatic and handled by the network, as is versions of any data that you have created or edited.
##Costs
Initially there is likely to be no cost to use the SAFE network at least to store vital data and communicate securely. This may change over time and will likely require payment (in safecoin) if the user requirement for data handling is in excess of the free amount. This free figure will be dynamically calculated and allocated by the network in real-time. If further access is required then safecoin may be purchased to 'buy' more space or pay for non free applications (it is anticipated many applications will be free of charge).
##Rewards
Over time the SAFE network will also allow network wide computation, this is likely to appeal to research organisations and Universities amongst others. This service is very likely to charge a fee in safecoin. Users who are providing resources to the network will earn these safecoin, which will be allocated automatically by the network in a manner that rewards user provided resource in a fair and calculable manner. In many ways the rate of farming will depend on resoure provided and a network calculated difficulty rate. This difficulty rate is very much like the bitcoin difficulty rate, but rather than time based, the SAFE difficulty rate is calculated to balance supply and demand of network resources.
##Farmers
People who use the SAFE network will very likely be running a special application called a vault. This vault will make use of unused resources on the computer of the user to fuel the network. For many people, these farming nodes will be invisible and should use very little cpu or bandwidth.
##Builders These application developers are referred to as builders on the SAFE network. A typical user application is demonstrated here.
This example shows an application that enables file storage/sharing and secure messaging. It does not show an important feature, the wallet, although this will be added as development progresses. If using an application like the one shown (which is PC based) the user will notice a wallet. This wallet will contain a digital currency called safecoin. This safecoin balance will increase over time, as reward for providing resources to the network.
It does not seem normal to download a free application and actually earn something at the same time. This may seem even more bizarre as people realise their privacy and security are not only protected, but enhanced in this system. Therefore there is no invasion of privacy or selling of anyone's personal data for profit.