your escape pod is a virtual server that operates within a unix environment (linux, mac os, etc). it uses its own protocols to communicate with other servers like it. ownership is authenticated with an ERC-720 token called an 'azimuth point.' 

great question, and it takes quite a bit to answer it. let us look at the current way social media works. when person a sends a message to person b, they're not actually talking with each other. they are both putting information into the company's central server. the company then controls who sees what. this is why it is called a centralized network. our approach is to make it simple for every person to  own their server. this means that person a is talking to person b directly, and only to person b. nobody else involved. this is a very simple example but the impact means it is ready to disrupt a multi-billion dollar industry.

if you want to pilot your own escape pod you will need to be familiar with using ethereum, eth wallets, unix, the command line, and become familiar with dojo (the command line interface of your escape pod).

you stay on twitter, facebook, instagram, or any of the social media platforms where your friends hang out. those platforms will continue to monitor and mine every conversation for data. they will then sell your life to advertisers.

connect with other people who have their own escape pods. you can build a community centered around a personality, topic, hobby, or tv show. whatever you want to talk about!

each person needs their own escape pod in order to communicate on the network. if they do not have an escape pod, they cannot talk with you. your pod uses its own protocols and does not recognize connections from any other legacy protocol like tcp/ip.

we accept bitcoin, ethereum, or ravencoin. we can process a transaction within the legacy banking system, but we strongly prefer not to. there will be an additional fee for insisting we do business within the fiat environment.

the passenger experience is pretty standard. you will easily find out how to start a group, create chat rooms, etc. if you want to take over the pilot responsibilities then you should be comfortable with the unix environment and using the command line.

a small group of people recognized that the internet of the 21st century is flawed at the lowest levels. these lead to horrible user experiences, so they decided to fix the internet from the ground up.

good question with a couple answers. the escape pod network is private by default. we do not broadcast your escape pod's location. we can't, in fact. having said that there is already a thriving community of communities where you can find other passengers and pilots to connect with.

only the people who you want to. every connection is peer to peer, and if you do not want to be connected with someone you do not have to be. your escape pod defaults to prefer privacy, and it will never act against your interests without your explicit command to do so. 

the escape pods are built on an open source project called 'urbit.' urbit is actively designed, developed, and updated by a company; tlon.

artists, engineers, computer scientists, ceos, designers, poets, monks (really), and more.

the founder's name is ~minder-folden and he is an author, speaker, and consultant to fortune 500 companies with a focus on innovation, creativity, communication skills, and more.

any time within the period of our hosting services. we have a minimum passenger duration of 3 months, and any time after that you can take over full pilot responsibilities. if you would like to download sooner than that we have buy-out options available.

the underlying technology has been in the works for more than a decade. within the past 3 years the project has advanced to the point where it is ready for certain adventurous spirits to find their place. that is you, we hope.

our hope is sooner rather than later in order for more people to escape the horror of megacorp internet. our expectations are much more realistic, and we have low confidence in most people to act on their self preservation instincts.

there is a dedicated group of passengers and pilots already waiting on you. the address is ~minder-folden/valeria when you're ready.

mars.

because we believe in freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and the freedom to have control over our own lives. this manifests itself as a strong craftsmanship ethos that we aim to bring to all our relationships. we want to build a future with others who feel the same way.