[Modification] Reducing the Pool of Notaries to Enhance Trust and Integrity for Filecoin Plus Round V5

[herrehesse]

Issue Description

The Filecoin Plus ecosystem is facing a critical challenge caused by a significant number of notaries, a considerable portion of whom are either inactive or actively involved in abusive activities. This prevalence of problematic notaries is significantly impacting the network, leading to various major issues and hindering the attraction of genuine customers and businesses. To progress into a quality phase of the network and establish trust, it is imperative to address this pressing concern by reducing the pool of active notaries and implementing stringent monitoring measures.

Impact

The presence of numerous inactive or abusive notaries within the Filecoin Plus ecosystem has several negative consequences:

• Trust and Reputation: The existence of inactive or abusive notaries erodes trust and confidence in the network. This damages the reputation of Filecoin Plus, making it difficult to attract legitimate customers and businesses.

• Quality Assurance: Inactive notaries do not fulfil their obligations, leading to a lack of quality assurance in the network. This can result in poor data validation, unreliable/unretrievable storage, and compromised integrity of the stored data.

• Resource Allocation: The excessive number of notaries, particularly those engaged in abusive behaviour, diverts resources and attention from genuine participants. This hampers the efficient utilisation of network resources and diminishes the overall performance of Filecoin Plus.

• Economic Impact: Abusive notaries exploiting datacap allocation to improper clients and, consequently, to storage providers for their (personal) financial gain represent a significant cost to the entire Filecoin Plus community. These malicious actions divert resources/block rewards that could otherwise be utilised to promote network growth and incentivise active and trustworthy participants. Addressing this issue is crucial to mitigate the economic impact and foster a fair and sustainable environment for all stakeholders involved.

Proposed Solution

To address the issues outlined above, the primary solution is to reduce the pool of active notaries in the Filecoin Plus ecosystem. By actively managing and monitoring the behaviour of the remaining notaries, the network can maintain integrity and ensure a higher level of trust. The proposed solution involves the following steps:

• Removal of Inactive Notaries: The removal of inactive notaries and the implementation of a new round, V5. In this new round, only active and trustworthy notaries will be selected for review by the community.

• Implement Behaviour Monitoring: Establish a (bi)weekly call to closely track the behaviour of the active notaries. This call should capture and analyse data related to their activities, interactions with the network, and compliance with Filecoin Plus rules and guidelines.

• Establish Accountability: It is crucial to ensure that active notaries are held accountable for their actions. Implementing regular (bi)weekly notary calls can effectively address this issue by providing a platform for discussions about their behaviour and allowing them to explain any potential abuse. By maintaining a smaller group of active notaries, it becomes more manageable to monitor and enhance the quality of their signatures. Additionally, if a notary continues to engage in problematic behaviour despite these efforts, they should be promptly removed from the pool of active notaries.

Timeline

• Transition to V5 and Selection of Notaries: Once community consensus is reached regarding the date of the transition to round V5 and the desired number of active notaries (suggested maximum of 20), begin preparations for the next round of notary allocation. The selection process for new notaries should involve active participation from the Filecoin community. Selection criteria will prioritise candidates with a proven track record of responsible behaviour and reliable allocations. It is essential to ensure a diverse group of notaries that are geographically dispersed across at least three continents, considering different time zones and regional datacap requests. This approach will foster a fresh start with a dependable and accountable cohort of notaries.

• Educational Campaign: Allocate two weeks to launch an educational campaign to inform the Filecoin Plus community about the changes in the notary system, the importance of accountability, and the selection process for the new notaries. This campaign will encourage active community participation and engagement in the selection process.

• Notary Selection and Allocation: Allocate three weeks for the active Filecoin community to review the candidates and collectively select the new notaries. The selection process should prioritise individuals with a track record of responsible behaviour and trustworthy allocations. Once the selection is complete, allocate an additional week to allocate responsibilities and finalise the transition to the new notary pool.

• Notary KYC for Accountability: In order to further enhance accountability, it is important to implement a robust Know Your Customer (KYC) process for notaries. This process will require potential notaries to undergo thorough verification of their identity, credentials, and background information. By conducting KYC checks, the Filecoin Plus ecosystem can ensure that only trustworthy and qualified individuals are selected as notaries.

• Monitoring and Evaluation: Allocate an ongoing effort to monitor the performance and behaviour of the V5 notaries. Regular assessments (biweekly) should be conducted to ensure that they adhere to the expected standards of accountability. Any issues or concerns should be addressed promptly to maintain a high-quality notary system.

By following this timeline and implementing these measures, Filecoin Plus can establish a more robust and accountable notary system, fostering trust and reliability within the community.

Technical Dependencies

• Implementation of Notary Round V5.
• Enhanced Notary Calls for multiple timezones and subjects.
• Removal of V4 notaries from multisig.

Risks and Mitigations

• Community Backlash: There is a risk of facing resistance or backlash from certain individuals or entities affected by the reduction of active notaries. This can be mitigated by transparently communicating the reasons for the changes, soliciting community feedback, and involving relevant stakeholders in the decision-making process.

[alchemypunk]

Reducing the number of notaries does not necessarily solve the problem; it may only make it easier for those in power to engage in wrongdoing and further centralize the FILECOIN network. I have previously mentioned how to achieve trust and transparency through unified standards, tools, digitalization, and verification methods. Is it really that difficult? The current issue is not fundamentally about quantity; it is about the excessive freedom that results in too many variables in each process. Notaries are voluntary community servants, yet they are consistently being blamed. Is this fair?

Building trust and transparency is indeed a complex endeavor. Unified standards, tools, digits, and verification methods can enhance the transparency and consistency of the entire network, thereby reducing uncertainty. However, achieving such uniformity is not an easy task, as different participants may have diverse needs and interests. Reaching consensus among stakeholders and implementing uniform standards is a challenging aspect of constructing a decentralized network.

In reality, the roles and responsibilities of notaries are diverse, and different notaries may face different accusations and pressures. While some notaries may receive criticism, it does not imply that all notaries are subject to such scrutiny. The key lies in ensuring a fair and effective selection and governance process for notaries to enhance overall trustworthiness and fairness.

In conclusion, building an effective decentralized network is a complex and multi-stakeholder process that requires decision-making based on weighing various factors. Balancing the number of notaries, regulations, and governance mechanisms is crucial to achieve fairness and transparency among notaries, network security, and transparency.

[alchemypunk]

Exact numbers, precise standards, and less freedom indeed contribute to achieving fairness. Having clear and unambiguous definitions without room for interpretation is essential. When 1 is 1, it ensures objectivity and eliminates subjectivity or manipulation.

By establishing precise numerical values and standardized criteria, it becomes easier to assess and measure various aspects of a system or process. This reduces ambiguity and the potential for biased judgments. Clear standards provide a framework for evaluating performance and ensuring accountability.

However, it's important to note that striking the right balance between exactness and flexibility can be challenging. While exact numbers and standards promote fairness, excessive rigidity can stifle innovation and adaptability. Finding the optimal level of precision while allowing for necessary variations is crucial in maintaining a fair and efficient system.

In summary, having precise numbers and standards is vital for promoting fairness and objectivity.

[modmeta]

As a community member planning to participate in the next notary election, the recent doubts and proposals have not inspired or motivated me. Instead, they have left me feeling disappointed and skeptical. I find myself questioning whether this community can function properly and if this project still has a future. My confidence is lacking.

Shouldn't the focus in the community be on collaboration, suggesting ways to enhance community development, driving FIL infrastructure, and attracting more participants? How did we end up with unfounded accusations, malicious speculations, and judgments without practical suggestions? These outcomes have left everyone confused and brought everything to a standstill indefinitely. Have others also noticed these predicaments? --Clients now face higher costs for storing data because they need to engage professional audit companies to help screen storage providers. --Storage providers possess the necessary resources for storage, but with constant rule changes, their existing resources become unusable, eroding their confidence in storage. -- Notaries not only require an understanding of technology but also need to have KYC qualifications. Otherwise, loopholes in certain details may subject them to unjust accusations.

[modmeta]

From what I understand, active notaries play a significant role in the community. They dedicate their time to reviewing and approving transactions without any compensation. We should recognize their contributions and provide the necessary support and resources to ensure they can effectively fulfill their responsibilities and work for the benefit of the entire community. Only by doing so can we collectively promote the healthy development and success of Filecoin. However, it is unfair that they now have to allocate extra time to handle unwarranted disputes. This situation not only hinders the development of Filecoin but also does not contribute to the positive growth of the community.

[modmeta]

Instead of wasting time and money speculating on rules, dealing with doubts, and facing indefinite project stagnation in such a dismal environment, we hope the governance team can intervene in a timely manner to prevent notaries from acting arbitrarily and making unfair accusations. Notaries, as objective and neutral third parties, should be responsible for reviewing, validating, raising questions, and aiding in problem-solving instead of accusing and passing judgment. We need clear requirements, suggestions, and tools to provide everyone with a clear direction, foster active cooperation and progress, and focus on storing authentic data.

[herrehesse]

@0xXPunkX @modmeta

Thank you for sharing your perspective(s) on the proposal to reduce the number of notaries within the Filecoin Plus ecosystem. We appreciate the opportunity to engage in a constructive dialogue regarding this critical matter. While we respect your viewpoint, we would like to address some of the concerns you raised and provide further clarification on our proposed solution.

• Regarding your assertion that reducing the number of notaries may lead to centralised power and wrongdoing, we understand your apprehensions. However, it is essential to emphasise that our intention is not to concentrate power but to establish a more robust and accountable notary system. By actively managing and monitoring the behaviour of the remaining notaries, we aim to ensure integrity and foster trust within the community. This approach allows for a higher level of scrutiny and promotes transparency while maintaining a diverse and geographically dispersed notary pool.

• Your suggestion of achieving trust and transparency through unified standards, tools, digitalization, and verification methods is commendable. Indeed, these elements can enhance the overall transparency and consistency of the network. However, it is important to acknowledge the complexity of reaching consensus among stakeholders with diverse needs and interests. We love and trust the development of the current tools FIL+ DEV's are bringing to the table and suggest that these combined with a reduced notary pool achieves the trust and transparency we so desperately need.

• In response to your worries about baseless accusations and lacking practical suggestions, we completely disagree with this viewpoint. We have observed that the majority of the parties expressing concerns are primarily motivated by their financial interests in datacap. Naturally, these entities will oppose any factual accusations and claims of misconduct. Our suggestion aims to tackle these challenges by introducing explicit selection criteria and implementing a robust Know Your Customer (KYC) process for notaries, clients, and storage providers. This approach guarantees that only competent and reliable individuals are chosen, minimising the chances of unjust accusations and fostering a fair and transparent environment for all participants.

• We acknowledge the valuable contributions of active notaries to the Filecoin Plus community and fully recognise the importance of providing them with the necessary support and resources. Our proposed solution seeks to enhance their capabilities and streamline their responsibilities, allowing them to fulfil their duties effectively. We are committed to fostering a positive growth environment for notaries, storage providers, and the entire community, encouraging active cooperation and progress.

• While we understand your concerns about the allocation of time and resources to handle disputes and navigate rule changes, it is crucial to maintain accountability and address problematic behaviour within the network. By implementing measures such as regular notary calls, behaviour monitoring, and an ongoing evaluation process, we can effectively mitigate these challenges while ensuring a high-quality notary system. Clear requirements, suggestions, and tools will be provided to guide everyone towards a shared direction, promoting the storage of authentic data and facilitating the healthy development of Filecoin.

We value your participation and encourage you to continue engaging in the discussion as we work towards the improvement and success of Filecoin Plus. Your input is vital in shaping a more trustworthy and reliable network. Together, we can overcome challenges and build a robust ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders.

Thank you once again for sharing your thoughts, and we look forward to further collaboration in realising the vision of Filecoin Plus.

[The-Wayvy]

Our goal is a permissionless network.

Every potential change must be considered with that in mind.

Since the proposed notary count of 20 moves us towards the correct amount, 0, I fully support this change as part of a larger adjustment to FIL+.

Additional changes are needed because just reducing the number of notaries does nothing to make the network less permissioned.

The other two changes I suggest we bundle together with a decrease in the number of notaries are: ~ a decrease in the amount of datacap each notary can allocate per day.
~ a decrease in the power multiple.

Together, these 3 changes would set a precedent for further moves toward a fully permissionless network.

[herrehesse]

Fully agree with @The-Wayvy

[nicelove666]

Although I plan to participate in v5, I still recommend that v5 start later! It is currently chaotic, there is no need for the v5 notary to join in the chaotic environment. First, resolve the current community disputes, then standardize the signature process. The best time for v5 should be after Christmas, and each round of elections should start with year as a unit.

[herrehesse]

@nicelove666 In my honest opinion V5 will set the president for a less chaotic environment, and should start as soon as possible. Full KYC/KYB with notaries, enforced rules and full responsibility for signatures.

The community will improve drastically, immediately.

[raghavrmadya]

Thanks for this proposal. Invite actionable suggestions here - https://github.com/filecoin-project/notary-governance/discussions