Author: David A. Harding 2021-02-13 16:32:57
Published on: 2021-02-13T16:32:57+00:00
In a recent post on the Bitcoin development mailing list, user Michael Folkson shared a link to a discussion on Reddit regarding Taproot activation pools. A point was raised that it is more important to avoid deploying rules that harm users than it is to deploy new useful rules quickly. The community should prefer clarity over speed when it comes to implementing changes. Another user, Dave, highlighted a separate point regarding defaulting to LOT=false in Taproot activation. This would make non-activation possible even if people run the code provided by developers. A successful activation under these circumstances would prove that at least some miners or UASFers voluntarily took actions that were outside the scope of developer control. This argument bolsters the decentralized ethos of Bitcoin and reduces the chance of bad actors pressuring developers into making unwanted changes. Dave also argued that the fact that Bitcoin Core is free software gives anyone who obtains a copy of it the legal right to modify it, run it, learn from it, and share additional copies for any purpose. Each time someone exercises these rights to create alternative Bitcoin implementations or forkcoins, they demonstrate that users could change the system or resist changes to it in opposition to the current developer team if necessary.
Updated on: 2023-06-14T17:21:21.117666+00:00