Author: Troy Benjegerdes 2014-12-16 19:24:15
Published on: 2014-12-16T19:24:15+00:00
The biggest systemic risk that Bitcoin has is the lack of code janitors, according to a post on the Bitcoin development mailing list. The complexity of the code means that there needs to be an emphasis on readability, maintainability and coding standards. Developers need to pick one tabbing style or column width and enforce it across the entire codebase. However, cosmetic patches, especially those involving code movement, can be hugely disruptive for developers working on non-trivial features, as well as being anti-social. A constant stream of such changes may produce a constant stream of disruption to developers working on non-trivial features, discouraging them from working with upstream. The key to striking a balance for Bitcoin Core is developing a policy that opens and closes windows for code movement and major disruptive changes, similar to "feature freeze" in other software projects.
Updated on: 2023-06-09T14:53:20.418349+00:00