Greg Colvin and I would like to invite the community to come together and participate in improving the Ethereum improvement process (and so much more).
Some notes to the reader:
- This proposal is to jump-start the process. Help us shape this effort by getting involved on the ethereum/governance Gitter channel and attending our workshop at EthCC.
- This proposal is written up in a Google Doc located at http://goo.gl/DrJRJV.
And now for the proposal:
Towards a Fellowship of Ethereum Magicians
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
— Arthur C. Clarke
We propose to create a Fellowship within which the Ethereum community can self-organize to maximize technical opportunities, share ideas and work together effectively, online and in person, across national, organizational and other boundaries.
Fellowship Vision
The Goal. To keep Ethereum The Best It Can Technically Be.
The Mission. To Nurture Community Consensus on the technical direction and specification of Ethereum.
The Work. Primarily, high-quality Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), accepted by a consensus of the Community.
Fellowship Principles
- Open Process. Any interested person can participate in the work, know what is being decided, and make his or her voice heard on the issue.
- Individual Participation. Membership is not formal. We are a Fellowship of individuals rather than organizations, companies, governments or interest groups.
- Technical Responsibility. The Fellowship accepts responsibility for all aspects of the Ethereum protocol specification. The Fellowship may take responsibility for related specifications proposed to it in the future.
- Technical Competence. The Fellowship seeks consensus on proposals where we have the necessary competence. The Fellowship is willing to listen to technically competent input from any source.
- “Rough Consensus and Running Code.” Consensus is not unanimity or majority vote. Rather, it is based on the combined technical judgement of our participants and our real-world experience in implementing and deploying our specifications.
Fellowship Practices
Online Presence
- Curated web pages, including information about the Fellowship, a calendar of upcoming events, and links to useful resources.
- Accessible discussion forums, with at least a threaded web interface and email integration.
In-Person Work
- Triannual meetings, two coordinated with Devcon and EthCC and one in July.
- Meetups, discussions, presentations, workshops, hackathons, and other relevant activities. These can organized by participants on an ad-hoc basis or with the sponsorship of the Fellowship.
Iterative Workflow
- Participants do research, gain experience, present their work, and make proposals.
- Proposals are discussed and reworked, online and in person, until consensus is reached.
Call to action: please contribute to the Google Doc located at goo.gl/DrJRJV. Any comments about specifics can be posted here. In order to ensure adequate coverage of this important document, I intend to expand on the rationale behind each section and item.