RFWP: Telos Independent BP Compliance Monitor

Need:

Telos is the only public EOSIO blockchain that maintains minimum requirements that every block producer must adhere to. This provides a critical benefit to the network in terms of network resiliency and maintaining true decentralization. However, at present, the investigation and enforcement of infractions are both handled by the Telos block producers themselves. This creates an opportunity for a protectionist cabal of block producers to eventually emerge. Even just the appearance of such a cabal would damage the reputation of Telos. A better situation would be to leave enforcement duties to the block producers, since this is one of the duties they have been elected to perform, but to encourage greater investigation and reporting from people outside the block producer community.

At present, any person in the Telos community can report suspected rules violations among Telos block producers, but in practice this is a rare occurrence. Learning the specific rules for block producers, recalling past cases and their outcomes, monitoring block producers for ongoing compliance and researching suspected violations is time consuming and requires specific knowledge. This should not be entrusted to block producers alone, but no one else will provide a professional standard to these tasks if they are not paid to do so. The best solution would be for Telos to pay a person or people via worker proposal to manage this task on an ongoing basis. These compliance monitors could also track infractions and penalties in a way that is more transparent and accessible to the Telos community so that the voters could consider the engagement and performance of block producers in their selection processes.

Requirements:

We seek a person not strongly associated with any block producer team who will take on the task of regularly monitoring block producer compliance issues, researching suspected infractions, and communicating with the block producers and community regarding the ongoing status of enforcement and compliance.

The Telos Block Producer Compliance Monitor would:

· Become an expert in the rules, procedures, and history surrounding Telos block producer compliance.

· Monitor on a regular, frequent basis all factors pertaining to block producer compliance.

· Investigate new block producers and any allegations of misrepresentation or other compliance violations.

· Alert the Telos block producers of suspected violations, including creating multisig kick proposals, where appropriate.

· Record all violations, kick proposals and their outcomes and report to the Telos community.

· Alert the Telos community if compliance is being ignored or abused.

· Answer questions from prospective new block producers or community members regarding compliance.

· Create, maintain and improve documentation regarding Telos block producer compliance.

· Maintain independence from any specific block producer so as to have clear objectivity.

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About the author: Douglas Horn is the Telos architect and whitepaper author, and the founder of GoodBlock, a block producer and app developer for the Telos Blockchain Network.

More about GoodBlock can be found at: www.goodblock.io

Join us on Twitter @GoodBlockio

Vote for GoodBlock on the Telos Blockchain Network @goodblocktls