EIP Improvement Process for continual progression in Ethereum
Q1–2020 achievements by EIPIP group
Overview
The EIP Improvement Process (EIPIP) group was created in January 2020, with the first meeting organized on January 15, 2020, to discuss the challenges and mitigation plans for the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP). Since then this group meets every other Wednesday to discuss proposed changes to the EIP process, EIP update, design a path for continuous improvement and other discussions around EIP.
Background
The Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) Github repository was created in October 2015. EIP 1 is the Purpose and Guidelines of EIPs and has been managed by a group of editors. Over the period of time, the process changed and people find it difficult to bring an EIP to an upgrade through the process. It brought a feeling of disappointment in the community, which signaled the need for an update in the process.
The bi-weekly meeting of this group helps in reviewing and discussing issues and the summary of the initial discussion is to be brought to the All Core Devs meetings for people to briefly speak their mind on it. It will allow Ethereum ACD meetings to address other pressing issues that require technical attention.
Objective
The main objectives of the group are to minimize chaos, address challenges, streamline the process, increase community awareness about the EIP under discussion, and more. The group decided to use existing channels like EIP Gitter, and the ECH Medium blogs for sharing information with the community, the Fellowship of Ethereum Magician for discussion of Pull Request and Ethereum All Core Developers calls for announcements. The most important goal of the group is to reduce friction and encourage community participation.
Ethereum Cat Herders collected some information about issues around the EIP process and created the EIPIP group to initiate a discussion with the community.
Challenges
- A clear understanding of the process: Struggle with the process. There are very few people who actually want to push things. Async selection of EIPs for an upgrade results in EIPs which are not being pushed/championed and are being pushed over the EIPs of people who are actually currently working and willing to push through an upgrade.
- EIP 1 revision: What kind of process is there for revising the EIP-1?
- Lack of documentation: Documentation of process to update an EIP, selection of EIPs for an upgrade, etc. are missing.
- Open Issues and Pull Requests: Over 150 open Pull Requests and over 400 open Issues. Delay in accepting useful EIPs. Lack of rules (policy) to close the PRs.
- EIP review: Not enough editors available for review of an EIP.
- Quality of EIPs: Earlier it was more of a good idea, in recent days it’s just documenting specifications. Lack of best practices awareness.
Summary
The initial research suggests several ways of mitigating issues as well as continuous improvement for Ethereum governance. Documentation, communication, mentorship program, on-boarding editors and sub-editors are a few to list here. The EIPIP group is moving towards addressing challenges based on prioritization and we can see good results in the first three months already.
Q1–2020 achievements
- EIP migration: Introduction to Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs)at Ethereum.org.
- Clear the backlog of PRs and issues: Change in status of old EIPs. eg. EIP 3
- EIP 1 updating: PRs added to rename “Hard Fork” for “Network Upgrade”, add Table of Contents to EIP-1.
- Capture process, best practices of an upgrade in the upgrade postmortem and that may be added as an Informational EIP.
How to join EIPIP meetings?
These are semi-private meetings inviting EIP editors, EIP author/champion and everyone who cares about the process or the decision about any particular EIP under discussion. If you’re interested in joining this meeting you may reach the Cat Herders at Gitter or any of the present participants. You may also follow the meeting recordings and notes at GitHub.
The EIPIP Procedure survey
Calling all the EIP editors, authors, champions and anyone who has ever participated or is interested in the Ethereum Improvement Process please consider sharing your experience and suggestions to improve the process by participating in the EIP Procedure Survey. Respond today if you haven’t done it already.
Read about the initial findings of the survey here.
