[meta] moving conceptual discussion for policy changes

A recurring issue highlighted is the tendency for discussions to escalate on social media platforms, often leading to a barrage of impulsive and sometimes destructive comments. This phenomenon can be attributed to various factors, including the immediate visibility and reach provided by social media and the emotional reactions triggered when individuals feel their voices are not adequately heard through conventional channels such as GitHub or mailing lists.

To address these challenges, several proposals have been put forth aimed at streamlining the process of soliciting and integrating community feedback on proposed changes to Bitcoin Core. One suggestion involves imposing a delay between announcing a proposed change on the mailing list and the actual submission of the PR. This approach aims to mitigate the sense of surprise or urgency that may compel individuals to react impulsively. Furthermore, marking a PR as a draft with explicit instructions not to merge before a certain date could help set clear expectations and reduce misunderstandings.

In an effort to foster more informed and constructive dialogue, it has also been proposed to introduce an intermediary step between the mailing list discussion and the PR submission. Utilizing GitHub "discussions" as a platform for this purpose could offer a structured environment for presenting comprehensive information about proposed changes, including pros, cons, frequently asked questions, and myth-busting. Engaging titles and summaries could serve to attract attention and drive traffic to these discussions, potentially transforming the initial burst of social media activity into a directed flow of interested stakeholders towards a centralized source of information.

These strategies underscore the importance of giving well-intentioned community members ample opportunity to voice their opinions in a manner that is both respectful and constructive. By carefully managing the timeline and format of discussions surrounding policy changes or controversial code modifications, the Bitcoin development community can aim to reduce unnecessary friction and encourage a more productive exchange of ideas.