Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] Fwd: Block size following technological growth

From: Pieter Wuille <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2015 19:09:30 +0200

On Fri, Aug 7, 2015 at 7:00 PM, Thomas Zander via bitcoin-dev <
[email-masked]> wrote:

> > If the incentives for running a node don't weight up against the
> > cost/difficulty using a full node yourself for a majority of people in
> the
> > ecosystem, I would argue that there is a problem. As Bitcoin's
> fundamental
> > improvement over other systems is the lack of need for trust, I believe
> > that with increased adoption should also come an increased (in absolute
> > terms) incentive for people to use a full node. I'm seeing the opposite
> > trend, and that is worrying IMHO.
>
> And you do the same thing again; you dismiss the need factor.
>

Of course there is a need. It's the primary mechanism that keeps Bitcoin
secure and immune from malicious influence.

Of course not everyone needs to run a node. But that leaves the
responsibility on us - the community - to help the situation by not making
it too hard to run a node. And I see the block size as the primary way
through which we do that.

If the impact of the system goes us, so should the - joint - incentives to
keep it secure. And I think we're (slowly) failing at that.

-- 
Pieter