Author: Eric Lombrozo 2015-08-17 16:37:01
Published on: 2015-08-17T16:37:01+00:00
The email discusses the issue of censorship and banning on /r/Bitcoin by theymos in relation to discussions regarding Bitcoin XT. The author believes that while they understand theymos' position, it only hurts the PR battle and plays into Mike's hand. The underlying issue is not about block size but rather, Mike and Gavin feeling that core devs are being obstructionist. The author states that at this stage in Bitcoin's development trying to fork the blockchain over highly divisive issues is counterproductive and destructive. The fact of the matter is that in the PR battle, arguments against the fork actually play into Mike’s hand. In terms of the block size issue, it is too nuanced and too easily spun simplistically, and most people do not understand it except for a handful of people. It is beyond ironic that most people are taking sides based on charismatic leadership and authority which is counter to the spirit of decentralized consensus. The author recommends that the key to winning the PR battle is to make it clear that everyone is treated equally and that changing the rules is hard, which is a feature of Bitcoin. A hard fork for such a politically divisive issue will almost certainly lead to a lack of cooperation and refusal to work together out of spite.
Updated on: 2023-06-10T20:00:24.395437+00:00