Organizing BitShares Improvements - BSIPS

[xeroc]

(1) Do I submit my idea for a BSIP here?
https://github.com/bitshares/bsips/issues

Sure, go ahead

(2) When I initially submit an idea for a BSIP and I'm not sure at this stage if
it is doable - is it supposed to already comply with the official format? (i.e.
Preamble, Abstract, Motivation etc) Or shall we apply the official format once
it is discussed and validated as doable?

Best would be to write your bsip in the recommended format already. Makes
reading through it way easier IMHO. But your are of course free to discuss your
idea free of any format in the forum first.

How is this different from worker proposals?

A worker proposal is needed to find shareholder approval. A BSIP is just ONE way
to document features and ONE possible source for information for shareholder FOR
a particular "feature/hardfork"-worker.  Also, not every BSIP needs a worker
proposal, they could be mere "recommendations" or "procedural ideals"

Also, it facilitates cooperation between people with ideas and people who are able to turn those ideas into code.

^^ THIS

As I understand it BSIPs are a more formal and detailed method of documenting a
problem and describing a solution along with the positive and negative affects
of that solution on the ecosystem.

Yes. Independent of shareholders or the community. At least that is what "I"
would like it to see. Since I am not a dictator, we can also rephrase BSIP#1 and
change the purpose to what every fits BitShares best.

As I see it we move a discussion from informal venues like this forum, slack and
telegram into more specific, detailed revisions like BSIPs and finally to a
formal worker proposal where it rises to the level of shareholder action.

BSIPs live in github so changes can be tracked and cooperation for editing /
evolution is opened to a broader audience.

Yes.

I would like to see a "Minimum Requirements" section added to the BSIP
guidelines.

Agreed. What do you think are the minimum requirements?

* problem statement
* problem solution
* technical specifications
* consequences

maybe?

BSIP 5 for example was way too vague IMO. By the time informal
discussions have evolved to a point where the issues have been hammered out and
specific action is warranted then it's time to move it to a BSIP.

I spent several hours yesterday reading and posting about the BSIP process.

You input is VERY much appreciated!

[Thom]

As I understand it BSIPs are a more formal and detailed method of documenting a problem and describing a solution along with the positive and negative affects of that solution on the ecosystem.

As I see it we move a discussion from informal venues like this forum, slack and telegram into more specific, detailed revisions like BSIPs and finally to a formal worker proposal where it rises to the level of shareholder action.

BSIPs live in github so changes can be tracked and cooperation for editing / evolution is opened to a broader audience.

I would like to see a "Minimum Requirements" section added to the BSIP guidelines. BSIP 5 for example was way too vague IMO. By the time informal discussions have evolved to a point where the issues have been hammered out and specific action is warranted then it's time to move it to a BSIP.

I spent several hours yesterday reading and posting about the BSIP process.

[jakub]

How is this different from worker proposals?

I guess a BSIP is a proposal for a proposal.
In other words, an initial proposal before the actual worker proposal is made.
Also, it facilitates cooperation between people with ideas and people who are able to turn those ideas into code.

At least that's how I understand the purpose of BSIPs.

[luckybit]

How is this different from worker proposals?

[btstip]

Hey ebit, here are the results of your tips...

• xeroc: has been credited 1 ROSE

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Source: https://bitsharestalk.org/index.php/topic,20679.msg268090/topicseen.html#msg268090

Created by hybridd

[ebit]

#sharebits xeroc 1 ROSE

[jakub]

@xeroc , two questions:

(1) Do I submit my idea for a BSIP here?
https://github.com/bitshares/bsips/issues

(2) When I initially submit an idea for a BSIP and I'm not sure at this stage if it is doable - is it supposed to already comply with the official format? (i.e. Preamble, Abstract, Motivation etc)
Or shall we apply the official format once it is discussed and validated as doable?

[Thom]

Absolutely Fantastic!

Well thought through for a first go at getting things organized here at a technical level.

I am so very glad for what I see emerging in this ecosystem towards a more integrated management methodology, BSIPs + Bill Butler + Jakub - all of this is a tremendous boost to the efficiency of work and for communicating this project's core strengths to the rest of the crypto world.

BitShares began from the vision of one man, who was able to break away from the Bitcoin mindset to innovate DPoS improvements to PoW and PoS and inspire others to join him in that vision. His primary strength is technical, and that shows in the evolution of the tools and code this project is based around.

However, Bytemater's ability to lead by inspiration from that original vision should not be minimized. That passion and energy has given individuals who grasp it the license and the power to express their own creativity to help bring that vision into being. Beyond BItcoin, BitSharesBlocks, Cryptofresh are just a few examples of the fruits of inspired and empowered individuals.

It's been a gradual process which will take time to fully realize. Many decisions have been made, some good some bad. I can finally see a decentralized leadership begin to emerge, not yet so much in our governance as from the grassroots of the community. Through efforts like BSIPs and others we will become more effective and accelerate our progress towards that vision Bytemaster and so many of us here are aligned with.

I will be happy to help in any way I can as an editor or reviewer or any other role I can serve in to strengthen this BSIPs approach you describe here.

Thank you xeroc for taking the time to first organize your thoughts and bring them forth in a more formal BSIPs methodology. Well done!

[testz]

Great! 

[cass]

Much needed ... great initiative! 

[xeroc]

Hello Community,

I had a feeling that we lack some organization for putting together protocol upgrade proposal (read: hard forks) and that shareholders have difficult times
reading all the relevant data for every proposal.
So I decided to collect all data I could find for each of the proposals currently discussed and through them all together in a github repository for BSIPs (BitShares Improvment Proposals) similar
to how Python, Bitcoin, Ethereum and others are doing it. The repository current consists of a set of 7 (2-8) proposals and one "protocol" as to what BSIPs actually are and how they are organized yada, yada, bla, bla.

Here is the repo:

     https://github.com/bitshares/bsips

Since our blockchain is far superior to anything that has ever existed () I made some modifications to the "standard" in BSIP-1:

If the proposal requires a protocol upgrade, the proposal is considered *final*
only if shareholders have approved a corresponding worker or hard fork proposal.

I would further like to add a discussion section to each of the BSIPs:

* Discussion -- The BSIP shall include a discussion on positive and negative
  effects on the BitShares ecosystem shall it be accepted by shareholders. This
  section is supposed to be the most important section for shareholders to grasp
  the full impact of the BSIP and help shareholders to make a decision.

For the near-term period, I simply put @cass, @svk and me into the editorial board but I would be happy if
other people stand up and would like to join or replace any of us. Note that editors merely do the administrative &
editorial part and will neither decide or judge about any proposal!

I would further like to to ask a few things for the future:

* Let's have a dedicated sub forum for discussions around proposals (since we do not have a mailing list as others do)
* Let's discuss proposals in the forum first and craft such a document for the wider audience to review before going from draft into "accepted"
* Let's craft a fair(!!) discussion including pros and cons equally to let the shareholder get the bigger picture right away

You may agree if I say that for BitShares in particular, properly developed and presented improvement proposals are WAY more important to
our ecosystem than to any other crypto project because we give the POWER to the shareholders hence we have the RESPONSIBILITY to
educate them accordingly!

btw .. pull requests are welcome, consider those documents rough drafts that I am working on right now!
Please don't hold back your critiques!

Cheers