iCEBREAKER, a genuinely interesting article - thank you for that link.

To everyone else, GL to you! And your Maidsafes.

I'II be checking back sometime 2020 for the final release. 

Was going to log in every year to see where Maidsafe got to, then decided to slack them an additional year, given their laggard past.

So, since my last post in 2016, myself being an early "investor" and holder at one time, let's see how their promises to recreate the entire internet as a safe, token-backed experience is faring after more than a dozen years in development.

Let's see .. no product released, no routing solution, still talking about tests, a token that's as vaporous as the project it rests with.

Trading check: volume dropped significantly, a recent major exchange delisting citing concerns about the non-utility of the token to the project (i.e., there isn't a product released and this thing is no better than a whitepaper bedroom startup. I mean it should be better - you have guys here who are for-real programmers and creators, thinkers; but in evidence, this is operating in a manner becoming a scam).

I go over to the Safe forums ... same conversations about speedy development (men are most vain about the thing that troubles them the most), stretch goals, incredible development towards stated goals, more discussions, closing in on objectives, robust strong team, an expanding team, a team that recently have been doing better and better, 'getting the word out,' getting that messaging happening, process, diligence, meetings, roundtable discussions, roadmaps, little ants ...

Long ago I'd jacked the lot and went into coins now in the top ten. They got there by releasing products that work, that solve a problem in the here-and-now. That can be linked into an economical model (crucial for adoption).

P.s., At the time of writing Maidsafe is now a shade outside the top 100 behind stuff like Nxt and Reddcoin - not to dis these coins but to ask by way of comparison: Did Maidsafer's ever think they'd be slumped so low and hearing the same promises over and over from planet Troon in 2018? There's a SAFE DevCon coming in April. Aspiring developers for these promises are all welcome. I won't be seeing you there.

"This will be a long and detailed discussion and should result in a complete architecture of the final product." (MaidSafe Dev Update 12th July 2016)

A revealing update from team win there, highlighting the need for architecture ...

... and some weeks+ blab fest to figure it out :

"Today was a marathon debate day and we will have many more this week and next at least." (ceo)

After 10+ years this is where the project sits.

Architecture. 10+ years.

Routing. Security. Vaults. Launcher. Sync. Async. Anonymity.

Architecture would be a big thumbs up from me. Might take a few years to code it up??

Test 4 has concluded.

There is no indication of a release date, an alpha or MVP or anything.

The spokesperson for updates has left.

The CEO notes there can be as many as 5 team meetings daily - that's a lot of admin time rather than coding.

Good luck for test 5, 6 etc?

Who knows.

Think I'II wait until 2017 when they are closer to an alpha.

How are you finding Test 4? What are your impressions on the UI, launcher, network speed, stability and file uploads?

A real concern is a point to repeat : Security.

This closed-box test 4 is not up for outside breaking (it will do that fine itself being a scrubby pre-alpha).

If released, the SAFE network is trading on that name alone, and one breach of security destroys it. Imagine an airline called Never Crash and everyone anticipates just that event and when it occurs it takes the entire paradigm with it. There are no 100% safe airlines. There is no 100% safe network.

There is too much staked on this anticipation of anonymity and security and too little to show in many years of active r&d.

Those enthusiastic updates always detail mistakes and do-overs, yet the fluency of its language appeals as "real progress being made."

> Bitfunder, Havelock, and BTCT.

Some interesting names / topics for me to look at. Thank you.

Was a large holder and have slowly reduced over the last five months (since they under performed their self-imposed release targets, stemming from 2015).

The recent "appropriation" of what should be non-existent funds is disgusting and prompted my exiting altogether of, for want of better term, investment.

The leaden footed approach by one of their staff members, revealing the company's cash position, projection of cash burn and announcing appropriated funds would effectively be sold against the community on market is laughable from a professional point of view. No responsible director would say this, or more importantly, do this. It weakens their potential with VCs, it destroys community trust and it obviously devalues the current token - the basis of Market Cap - the one ticking indicator that any outside financier cares about; How is this a smart approach?

MAID have failed to deliver and appear to not have the capacity to figure out security - a complex undertaking on its own. It's telling they wish to appropriate the entire sum of ill-gotten Maid (up to 24M Maids? ... up to $1.4M?) and have dollar-costed this to being worth 1 year of forward development. Again, why tell the market this, you will only attract shark VCs.

This is not taking away from the talents of their programmers, including the CEO, of their work on a very technical exercise indeed. Hats off, gents! If you succeed someplace then investors such as myself will look again - depends. Until then, you've evaporated my trust and others such as myself who are looking for innovation and delivery. That's the market reality. When you kick us, we kick along.

Some consolation to those wrongly socked and docked.

Thanks for the warning, pardner.

If only you had been around to warn of scams though. I'd much appreciate that one especial.

I'm up on my accumulations. Old Jessip told me to speculate to accumulate. He was right. He's finely right in the head most days.

He tells me Eth and Saf (that last one's short for Safecoin, which happens to be born of that strange maid's Safe, well one day it is. Dunno, where was I ...)

Ah yes, Eth and Saf. They are the two boys in my stable now. Am I hitchin' a winner you reckon? Do I need a warning on what to do with all my stacks of cash?

But see right there? That's fiat thinkin'. That's when a man just wants a crypto to go up and he has other plans, to hoof it back to fiat. That's no game plan man, that's just balling us with hope so you can get yourself a fancy car and a girl to go.

Now see, this Eth could be around for awhile. Forget your 5 dollar targets. Let's be men. Let's say 500. I'II see you there, friend.  

Hello fellow Koras, I did indeed take the fine time to register this coin in the spirit of a better coin community.

I'm in the interested way for your work here, friend. Good luck, Kora.

Utopian moving it to the AE was a genius move. Ain't none coin other can fetch like NEM can.

Shonk has made the scratch man, and in a radical way.

0.025 big ones.

Smokin' Hash:
71bdcd735cbe9520ca95917f78c7a2f1e216b4ed583f53c3e936a77300ce1183

Later.

Hello good Sir. And I say to you, greetings. It is not everyday a man of some standing lands on this boards, such as myself, or, yourself. Or, to put it another way, ourselves. I think that has covered it.