[2016-01-11] The Block Size Debate Forks the Community

[LiteCoinGuy]

The Block Size Debate Forks the Community

The infamous block size debate has launched a tidal wave of concerns and controversies. While major players express their support for various BIP’s, and no consensus about the matter is on the table as yet, the community rages about unprecedented censorship occurences related to the matter.

http://forklog.net/the-block-size-debate-forks-the-community/

[DooMAD]

Theymos has justified the censorship decision as follows:

“If Coinbase promotes XT to customers on coinbase.com and/or switches all of its full nodes to BIP 101 software, then Coinbase is no longer using the Bitcoin currency, and it doesn’t belong on /r/Bitcoin. This also applies to bitcointalk.org (where Coinbase would be restricted to the altcoin section). Bitcoin.it and bitcoin.org have similar policies. In fact, Coinbase was already almost removed from bitcoin.org due to your past statements in this matter.”

Except for the part where Coinbase is definitely still using the Bitcoin currency.  They still send and receive Bitcoin transactions on Bitcoin's blockchain.  Ergo, they are using Bitcoin.  It's only an altcoin if it forks without consensus.  No fork has occurred.  This is demonstrably misleading.  As usual, this sort of authoritarian behaviour is only going to polarise the discussion, create mistrust, encourage controversy and raise doubts about integrity and impartiality.  If people genuinely believe a contentious hardfork would be a bad thing for Bitcoin, perhaps they should stop doing everything in their power to encourage one.

[TraderTimm]

Theymos has justified the censorship decision as follows:

“If Coinbase promotes XT to customers on coinbase.com and/or switches all of its full nodes to BIP 101 software, then Coinbase is no longer using the Bitcoin currency, and it doesn’t belong on /r/Bitcoin. This also applies to bitcointalk.org (where Coinbase would be restricted to the altcoin section). Bitcoin.it and bitcoin.org have similar policies. In fact, Coinbase was already almost removed from bitcoin.org due to your past statements in this matter.”

Except for the part where Coinbase is definitely still using the Bitcoin currency.  They still send and receive Bitcoin transactions on Bitcoin's blockchain.  Ergo, they are using Bitcoin.  It's only an altcoin if it forks without consensus.  No fork has occurred.  This is demonstrably misleading.  As usual, this sort of authoritarian behaviour is only going to polarise the discussion, create mistrust, encourage controversy and raise doubts about integrity and impartiality.  If people genuinely believe a contentious hardfork would be a bad thing for Bitcoin, perhaps they should stop doing everything in their power to encourage one.

Wrong, XT is not "vanilla" Bitcoin, it incorporates significant changes - hence the separate clients and mining software. As for consensus, we're not even close to filling up blocks yet (sorry, some asshole doing 'stress tests' doesn't count - that is abusive spam behavior, not organic growth). We have time to determine the proper course, but naturally a few dramatic personalities *cough* Hearn *cough* made the case as if the whole world is going to fall down around our ears if we don't adopt changes right away.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Even as we speak, XT nodes are a paltry fraction of the existing network - 10% with a typical 2% variance on any given day of the week - and has been for months. If you like metrics, I suggest looking at https://kaiko.com/statistics/average-block-size for more perspective. The problem will get solved, it won't be through the "take my ball and go fork" variety of tactics, however.

[DooMAD]

Wrong, XT is not "vanilla" Bitcoin, it incorporates significant changes - hence the separate clients and mining software.

Still doesn't make it an altcoin.  You have a perfectly serviceable alternative clients subforum here, yet this altcoin nonsense still persists.

Even as we speak, XT nodes are a paltry fraction of the existing network - 10% with a typical 2% variance on any given day of the week - and has been for months.

Yes, that's why I said: "It's only an altcoin if it forks without consensus.  No fork has occurred".  It still adheres to the rules of the Bitcoin network and will continue to do so unless more people decide they want those rules to change.

The problem will get solved, it won't be through the "take my ball and go fork" variety of tactics, however.

It also won't be though the "sweeping things you disagree with under the carpet" variety of tactics.

[TraderTimm]

I'll just leave this huge embarrassment to XT here -- http://www.econotimes.com/Bitcoin-XT-Fails-To-Get-Consensus-At-Its-Commencement-Date-141615#fDE9UphId8Yw3wlp.99

The people have spoken, and they have said "No". Any other arguments?