Published on: 2011-08-03T01:41:05+00:00
In a discussion about improving the Bitcoin project, John Smith suggests implementing BTC bounties for fixing bugs and finding security holes. This would incentivize individuals to focus on bug-fixing and testing, rather than adding new features. Joel proposes creating a page where anyone can add to the bounty attached to a bug on the bug tracker. The group acknowledges the need to prioritize bug-fixing and testing in order to enhance the stability and security of the platform.Gavin Andresen, the founder of Bitcoin, expresses concern about the constant addition of features without addressing existing bugs. He plans to lead by example and tackle the backlog of reported bugs upon his return. Andresen seeks advice on how to encourage others to prioritize bug-fixing and testing over adding more features.In an email conversation with JS, Andresen discusses the idea of offering BTC bounties for fixing bugs based on their severity and difficulty. This approach aims to engage individuals with the current source base and discourage the creation of incomplete clients from scratch. Additionally, bounties for finding new security holes and serious bugs, similar to the policies of Mozilla and Chrome projects, are suggested.However, it is noted that only someone with high-profile status like Gavin would have enough trust to ask for support in organizing the BTC funds for bounties. It is also mentioned that publishing a roadmap and focusing on "bug fix only" releases before scheduling new feature additions may help people understand the project's direction.Andresen emphasizes the importance of ensuring that existing features work correctly, as several people have suffered financial losses due to bugs slipping through. He thanks those who have been actively testing and submitting bug fixes, acknowledging that not everyone has been solely focused on adding new features.
Updated on: 2023-08-01T02:10:48.749886+00:00