For all of the people that flooded the github issues, it seemed like very few actually read the mailing list thread. I saw at least one person earnestly say they hadn't heard the rationale for removing the OP_RETURN limit, despite it being articulated in multiple places multiple ways.
There is a lot going on in the OP_RETURN debate, but I definitely agree with this:
"What the OP_RETURN debate has demonstrated is that Bitcoin Core and the Bitcoin technical community have not done a good job communicating their value – not to mention the rationale behind their decisions – to the average bitcoin user."
https://blockspace.media/insight/op_return-debate-the-influencers-vs-the-devs/
The Bitcoin Core developers have produced artifacts and content on these matters already, but those of us closely observing need to do a better job of disseminating that information to a broader set of Bitcoin ecosystem participants.
"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place."
I need to do better.
Discussion
What do you suggest?
Unfortunately I don't have a prescription.
From my vantage point the information has been adequately disseminated (thanks in part to Optech) and some contingent has failed to discover or understand it.
If I *have to* offer some kind of idea, there could be an opportunity for educational content that's in the middle ground between bitcoin influencer and what optech does now (if you really want more work lol). I'd suspect 80-90% of Optech is readily understandable by most bitcoiners, but maybe that last 10-20% turns off the less technical audience?
Maybe a more reasonable improvement would be to publish the recap on youtube either with chapters or split into separate videos by topic so that people who aren't subscribed or don't regularly listen to the recap can more easily discover, pick and choose parts of optech to consume? (I know the podcast already has topic timestamps so hopefully it's not much extra work) At minimum, saying "hey listen to this podcast and go to MM:SS" is a lot more friction than a youtube link that takes you directly to the timestamp.
I guess my prescription there is to increase optech's reach so these people are better informed lol
I think Optech has done a great job of surfacing and summarizing "RTFM"-type content from from the mailing list, github, delving, etc. But two points on that:
1. There are communications/informations that Optech wouldnt typically cover that could still be valuable for a wider audience. In the OP_RETURN skirmish example: information around moderation policies, who are the moderators, what is a "BAN", etc.
2. As Bitcoin grows, the Optech content becomes less accessible or even reachable for the "average" Bitcoiner and Optech summary content itself becomes "RTFM" in need of translation for a wider audience.
I agree with your thoughts, and am really just adding my $.02 on the "has been adequately disseminated" point.
Humorous punctuation: https://bitcoin-irc.chaincode.com/bitcoin-core-dev/2025-05-15#1121197;
As recently as *today*, someone savvy enough to make it into IRC, and is aware the mailing list exists asked "Is there a ml post (I can't subscribe, it probably just sits in mod queue forever) which goes over the rationale/reason (from bitcoin core's view) for why op_return is to be changed (and the option to configure it potentially removed in the future)?"
Stop wondering whether that was a joke