[Bitcoin-development] BIP process

[Wladimir <laanwj@gmail.com>]

Hello,

I'm trying to create a bit of process around the
https://github.com/bitcoin/bips repository.

A) Currently a lot of pulls are open for various BIPs and it is not
clear who should comment on them, or who decides on changes to be
merged.

Currently all BIP changes have to go through the Bitcoin Core team,
which is a narrow bottleneck and makes little sense when you think
about it. But I don't want to go back to the wiki state in which
everyone can make arbitrary changes to any BIP - we need to distribute
the process somehow.

I'd like to propose to make the author (or someone they delegate to)
the primary contact for each BIP. They should comment on changes, and
either accept or reject them. If they accept them, the change will be
merged.

Of course this means that there is a responsibility for the author to
adhere to BIP 1. For example if your BIP is final, don't allow any
technical changes. To do small clarifications, spelling or adding
implementations or examples is OK, but changing or adding to a
protocol is not - this needs a new BIP. Changing your BIP status
without community consensus is also not OK.

B) I also think it makes sense to move the BIP discussion (both about
the BIP process and individual BIPs) to a separate mailing list.

bitcoin-development currently has a dual function: discussion of
Bitcoin Core implementation concerns, as well as global changes to
Bitcoin (in the form of BIPs).

This makes the list too busy for some people, but it is critical that
everyone writing a Bitcoin node or client is up-to-date with proposals
and can comment on them.

Wladimir