[meta] Handle feature requests in Github Discussions? #25823

1. 
   MarcoFalke commented at 4:20 pm on August 11, 2022: member

   While it is possible for feature requests in issues to receive “thumbs up”, it isn’t possible to easily discover them by upvotes. So maybe enabling the “Discussions” tab could solve that? This way, devs could prioritize highly requested features and de-prioritize less requested ones.
2. MarcoFalke added the label Brainstorming on Aug 11, 2022
3. 
   ghost commented at 5:48 pm on August 11, 2022: none

   I don’t have any opinion on ‘discussions’ tab although this tweet looks relevant looking at the recent trend of issues being closed:

   https://twitter.com/0xabad1dea/status/1458018801405120515

   Closed issues in open source projects are more important for several organizations including 3 letter agencies keeping an eye on this repository for privacy and security related issues. Closing them doesn’t improve anything.

4. 
   MarcoFalke commented at 6:12 pm on August 11, 2022: member

   recent trend of issues being closed

   This is not a recent trend. Issues have always been closed. For example the first issue (a feature request) has been closed: #1 . Generally I think it makes sense to drop off feature requests after a few years of inactivity. Inactivity can mean that no one wants the feature, or the feature doesn’t make sense, or the implementation is impossible/too hard.

   If there was a rule to keep all feature request open forever, it would be impossible to browse the issues list for bugs (including security related ones). The number of bugs a program can have is limited, however the number of features one can request are unlimited.

   3 letter agencies keeping an eye on this repository for privacy and security related issues. Closing them doesn’t improve anything.

   I am not aware of a security related issue that was closed without a valid rationale and without a fix. Issues are closed on a case-by-case basis, and if needed they can also be re-opened on a case-by-case basis. Also, keep in mind that a closed issue doesn’t mean the discussion has been banned from the repo forever. No one is holding anyone back to request an issue to be reopened, or create a new issue (maybe with additional context, or a summary of previous issues, or with history/recent changes relevant to the issue elaborated).

5. 
   ghost commented at 5:12 am on August 12, 2022: none

   Generally I think it makes sense to drop off feature requests after a few years of inactivity. Inactivity can mean that no one wants the feature, or the feature doesn’t make sense, or the implementation is impossible/too hard.

   Interesting. I still see lot of issues open with feature requests and some of them are more than 5 years old.

   Example: #6569

6. 
   MarcoFalke commented at 6:25 am on August 12, 2022: member

   Example

   Thx, closed it. Let us know if there any other issues that can be closed.

7. 
   ytrezq commented at 7:35 pm on August 13, 2022: none

   Some feature requests about performance can typically become a performance bug if, for example, it’s no longer possible to catch up sync.
8. MarcoFalke closed this on Aug 20, 2022

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9. bitcoin locked this on Aug 20, 2023

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MarcoFalke ghost ytrezq

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Brainstorming