Proposal and Poll: Poll definitions, requirements, and validation parameters
Main Discussion Thread - Github
Introduction
Gridcoin polls help guide decision making on the Gridcoin network. It is difficult to use the polls without clear definitions and validation parameters. This will become increasingly difficult as we continue to grow and decentralize as a network and community.
This proposal seeks to establish rule-based requirements and definitions for the polling process. To do this polls are broken into seven categories each with unique requirements and parameters.
If approved, this document will be adopted as the network's polling definitions and protocol. There is no alternative proposal if rejected.
Changes Since Pre-proposal Post
Based on the results of the GUI Bounty Poll that achieved 15+% TVW and 50+% AVW, I have reduced the AVW requirements for all poll types by 10%. I have also set all required poll time except for developer polls to 3 weeks (21 Days). Developer polls remain at a 6 week poll time requirement.
I have also reduced the validation requirements for this poll from 60% to 40%.
The goal of this proposal is to define achievable requirements along with a process for changing them as a framework to build on in the future.
Poll Details
Duration: 3 weeks [21 Days]
Start Date: April 17th
End Time: May 8th 16:13 UTC
Question
Do you approve of the proposed poll definitions, requirements, and validation parameters.
Answers
- Yes
- No
- Abstain
Validation
40% or more AVW participation
Credits
This proposal would not be possible without the work done by @jamescowens and everyone involved in the #economics slack discussion when putting together the CBR proposal and original AVW definitions. Credit for the original whitelist definitions and process just about copy and pasted into this proposal goes to @GUK and everyone in the #boinc_projects slack channel that contributed during that discussion.
And of course a huge thank you to everyone in #poll-definitions on slack and during the hangouts and fireside chats for helping assemble and debate the rules proposed below.
Proposed poll definitions, requirements, and validation parameters
1.0 Voting
Gridcoin utilizes a protocol based voting mechanism to:
- Gauge interest
- Inform development and organizational direction
- Utilize foundation funds
Any network participant with a balance of 100k GRC in a wallet can create a poll. A poll must meet all requirements for the appropriate poll type to be considered valid.
There are seven types of polls:
- Opinion/Casual
- Development
- Marketing
- Outreach
- Management
- Community
- Whitelist
1.1 Vote Weight and Active Vote Weight
Vote-weight is the power given to a vote cast on the Gridcoin blockchain. It is measured as a modified sum of balance and magnitude. The formula for vote-weight is:
Total vote-weight (TVW) is the total possible vote-weight of the network. It is calculated as a weighted sum of total minted coins and network magnitude.
Active vote-weight (AVW) is a calculated average of the vote weight actively securing the network for the duration of the poll, plus the network magnitude, less the magnitude of any crunching pools. The formula for AVW is:
AVW as a metric solves the validation problems of total vote-weight validation, including missing vote-weight due to lost and burned coins, coins in cold storage, coins held by exchanges, and vote-weight frozen by crunching pools.
AVW enables high weight validation via active network participants.
AVW enables super-validation. Super-validation is a validation percentage greater than 100%. Super-validation implies that inactive balances were brought online to vote on the proposal in question.
Note: TotalNetworkMagnitude = 115,000
1.2 Poll Validation by Active Vote Weight
Poll validation requirements are intended to ensure no proposal passes without significant network support. Each poll type has its own AVW validation parameter initially defined in this proposal. Validation parameters can be changed through management polls.
If a poll is not validated no action is taken.
1.3 Requesting Funds in Polls
Any proposal requesting reimbursement or funding from the foundation must be approved by a network poll.
Funding can be requested for all poll types except for Opinion/Casual and Whitelist polls. The following information is required if funding is requested in a proposal.
- Intended use of funds
- The date of work begin
- The date of work end
- Total funding requested (denoted in GRC)
- When funds are released
- How funds are released
- The payee's name or alias
- The payee's wallet address
- Reliable contact information
1.4 Poll Types, Requirements, and Validation Parameters
There are seven poll types. All poll types except for Opinion/Casual must use "Magnitude and Balance" as weight metrics.
1. Opinion/Casual
Opinion/Casual polls are for early exploration of ideas or for fun.
Examples
- Do you support the continued exploration of this CBR idea?
- Do you support the continued exploration of this protocol change idea?
- Masternodes, DPoS, PoS, or PoW?
- Cubes or curds?
Poll Requirements
NONE
Validation Parameters
NONE
2. Development
Development polls include polls to change a protocol value or for proposing changes to the protocol at large.
Examples
- Implement CBR as proposed?
- What should the CBR value be at implementation?
- Remove the BOINC team requirement?
- What should the side-staking development requirement be at implementation?
- Implement MRC as defined in this proposal?
- Change CBR value to 3.1415?
- Change development side-stake requirement to 2%
Development Poll Requirements
- Main Poll Discussion Thread on Github or Reddit
- Secondary discussion threads on Github, Reddit, and Steemit with links to each in each thread
- Minimum 6 weeks (42 days) Poll Time
- Unbiased Poll Phrasing and Options
- "Abstain" Vote Option
Development Poll Validation Parameter
- AVW of 50% or greater
3. Marketing
Marketing polls include any proposal for marketing initiatives.
Examples
- Do you support this proposal for taking out an ad in New Scientist magazine?
Marketing Poll Requirements
- Main Poll Discussion Thread on Github or Reddit
- Secondary discussion threads on Github, Reddit, and Steemit with links to each in each thread
- Minimum 3 weeks (21 Days) Poll Time
- Unbiased Poll Phrasing and Options
- "Abstain" Vote Option
Marketing Poll Validation Parameter
- AVW of 40% or greater
4. Outreach
Outreach polls include any proposal which seeks to:
- Legitimize community representation
- Compile, build, or maintain proactive documentation
- Maintain channels of communication for those outside of the network and community
- Allocate resources to take advantage of outreach opportunities as they present themselves
Examples
- Do you support representation at [Conference A] as detailed in this proposal?
Outreach Poll Requirements
- Main Poll Discussion Thread on Github or Reddit
- Secondary discussion threads on Github, Reddit, and Steemit with links to each in each thread
- Minimum 3 weeks (21 Days) Poll Time
- Unbiased Poll Phrasing and Options
- "Abstain" Vote Option
Outreach Poll Validation Parameter
- AVW of 40% or greater
5. Management
Management polls include any proposal which seeks to modify the management or organizational structure of Gridcoin.
Examples
- Do you support the proposed management proposal?
- Change AVW validation parameter for development proposals to 50%?
- Change minimum required poll time for Outreach polls to 4 weeks?
Management Poll Requirements
- Main Poll Discussion Thread on Github or Reddit
- Secondary discussion threads on Github, Reddit, and Steemit with links to each in each thread
- Minimum 3 weeks (21 Days) Poll Time
- Unbiased Poll Phrasing and Options
- "Abstain" Vote Option
Management Poll Validation Parameter
- AVW of 20% or greater
6. Community
Community polls include any proposal or initiative related to the Gridcoin community, but unrelated to any other department.
Examples
- Do you support this community competition?
- Do you support hosting this crunching competition?
Community Poll Requirements
- Main Poll Discussion Thread on Github or Reddit
- Secondary discussion threads on Github, Reddit, and Steemit with links to each in each thread
- Minimum 3 weeks (21 Days) Poll Time
- Unbiased Poll Phrasing and Options
- "Abstain" Vote Option
Community Poll Validation Parameter
- AVW of 10% or greater
7. Whitelist
A whitelist poll is used to add or remove a project from the whitelist. The whitelist is a larger mechanism within the operation of Gridcoin. Each project considered for whitelisting must meet a set of requirements, and several actions must be taken before a poll for adding or removing a project can be considered valid. A project can be removed from the whitelist at the discretion of the whitelist admin if it ever fails to meet a requirement described below.
More information including discussion threads that informed the creation of the whitelisting and greylisting processes, information about each project's Work Availability Score and Zero Credit Days, and details on the greylist process are linked at the end of this section.
Project Requirements for Whitelist Consideration
- Project Work Availability Score is green
- Number of Zero Credit Days is less than or equal to 7 out of the last 20 days
- The project has a clear description of the work and the work is as described
- The project allows new user registration
- Project complies with the BOINC terms of service
- All crunchers that comply with the terms of service of both BOINC and the project have equal access to work units
Required Actions before Creation of Project Addition Poll
- Direct contact with a project administrator
- An affirmative public response to whitelisting by a project administrator
- An agreed add date with both the Gridcoin whitelist administrator and project admin
Required Actions before Creation of Project Removal Poll
These are necessary only if a project meets all whitelist requirements, is not greylisted, and is otherwise functioning as intended
- A public attempt at contact with a project admin is made
Examples
- Add project SETI@Home to the whitelist?
- Remove project SETI@Home from the whitelist?
Whitelist Poll Requirements
- Main Poll Discussion Thread on Github or Reddit
- Secondary discussion threads on Github, Reddit, and Steemit with links to each in each thread
- Minimum 3 weeks (21 Day) Poll Time
- Poll Options:
- Yes
- No
- Abstain
Whitelist Poll Validation Parameter
- AVW of 40% or greater
Whitelist Links
Gridcoin Whitelist/Greylist Management Information
Github Issue #194
Github Issue #213
Github Issue #201
Conclusion
I believe that clearly defining a rules-based system for polling will substantially increase the efficiency of our decision making as a network and community. The rules-based approach should help us transition the polling process onto the blockchain should we ever find ourselves in a position to do so. I am very open to alternative approaches, however I believe it is time to move forward with what we've got and build on it to fit our needs as they grow. I look forward to the coming discussions and of course, I don't care which way you vote, just vote!
So, for example, let's take this poll:
https://gridcoinstats.eu/poll/steemit_content_on_gridcoin_twitter
Would it be classified as marketing, management, outreach or community? Who would decide on classification and, therefore, on AVW?
Replied in the update:
https://steemit.com/gridcoin/@jringo/update-1-gridcoin-poll-definitions-requirements-and-validation-parameters
How did you decide on the 20% AVW validation parameter for management polls? That seems to be the tricky one, because technically a sufficiently powerful bad actor could use 20% voting weight to change the other validation parameters to 20% as well, unless other network participants stepped in and outvoted the bad actor.
Technically yes, 20% is dangerously low, but:
Our network has demonstrated, for the size that it is, that its current whales seem to manifest the community will, and that there is a growing group of core actors, some whales and some not, that help work through situations and opportunities, inform the community, and are capable of making decisions. If a bad actor (or even one of the whales) attempts to take advantage of this low management requirement, I have confidence in the larger community and core actors to come to a rational resolution.
The number comes from the discussions before the poll. We couldn't settle on AVW requirements for the different poll-types so I chose values that seemed to be best compromises from the various opinions. The 20% management is set so low that any proposed change to this structure will easily be validated and force discussion. And because we are still a fairly tight network, as I describe above, it should be secure until we move past this initial phase of organization.
As this proposal is meant to be a scaffold from which we build something better, I would expect a proposal within 12 months that would rework or raise at least that 20% management AVW.