Published on: 2021-09-15T14:34:54+00:00
The discussion among Bitcoin developers on the bitcoin-dev mailing list revolves around the status of Bitcoin Improvement Proposals (BIPs). While some developers argue that BIPs become "standards" once incorporated into the Bitcoin ecosystem, others disagree, stating that calling them "standards" could be misleading. They emphasize that a proposal remains a proposal until accepted as a standard by the community.The debate then shifts to improving BIPs. One proposed solution is creating BIP extensions instead of modifying existing ones long after review, which can lead to contention. BIP extensions are separate proposals that extend an existing BIP. However, concerns are raised that this approach may hinder the BIP process and encourage contentiousness.As an alternative, it is suggested to separate draft BIPs from those in Active/Final status. A new BIP would be marked as a "Draft" until authors are satisfied with the text, at which point it becomes a Final status BIP without modification. The suggestion is to avoid making modifications outside of drafts unless absolutely necessary. Only minor updates should be allowed, such as adding additional info in Acknowledgements or See also sections, including Superseded-By links, and updating specific tables designed for updates.In conclusion, the focus of the discussion is on ensuring comprehensive evaluation and review of proposals before accepting them as standards within the Bitcoin ecosystem. Some developers propose creating BIP extensions to minimize contention, while others advocate for separating draft BIPs from those in Active/Final status, limiting modifications, and allowing only minor updates.A member named Michael Folkson is advocating for a revision to BIP 2, which is being discussed in the "BIP process meeting" thread. The plan is to modify pull request #1015 or another relevant pull request based on collective decisions.Karl-Johan Alm proposes that changes to BIPs of the second and third type should be done as BIP extensions. These extensions are independent proposals that do not require approval from the original author. By opting for extensions instead of modifying existing BIPs long after review, the community can be assured that a BIP will mostly remain unchanged. This approach allows modifications to be judged solely on their merits and provides a path to propose changes even if authors become inactive.Bitcoin Improvement Proposals (BIPs) start as ideas and are discussed on the BIPs repository list before being assigned a number by editors and merged. Once widely supported, a BIP becomes a standard. BIPs may be modified for spelling errors, clarifications, or to add missing content such as an activation strategy. Changes falling into the second and third categories should be done as BIP extensions, unless they are free from contention. These extensions are considered independent proposals and do not require the original author's approval. An extension that extends a BIP XXX is referred to as BIP-XXX-Y.Karl-Johan Alm proposes changes to BIPs to be made as BIP extensions in an email to the bitcoin-dev mailing list. He suggests that this approach gives the community confidence that a BIP will mostly remain unchanged and enables evaluations of modifications based on their merits alone. It also provides a pathway to propose modifications even if authors become inactive. Federico Berrone supports Alm's proposal and recommends adding additional information separately to declutter BIPs and enhance proposal comprehension without modifying the original proposal.
Updated on: 2023-08-02T04:46:57.051124+00:00