This governance forum is excellent for posting proposals, temperature checks, and more developed RFCs. However, I often feel the need for a more informal and private chat space – ideally, one where a critical mass of delegates participates. I know I’m not alone in this sentiment.
The Community Calls idea is a step in this direction, but I don’t think it fully addresses this need. Text-based communication mediums are better for async communication, and for preserving anonymity, for instance.
To be clear, I’m not advocating for secrecy. The space should be open to both delegates and observers. The issue with the governance forum is the expectation of highly polished posts and the perception that everything we say here might be quoted in news articles as our official positions. This environment is not conducive to the initial stages of learning about and understanding different governance proposals. There, it would be beneficial to post initial non-committal thoughts, ask “dumb” questions, and try to gain a better understanding of other delegates’ reasoning. A more private, less formal environment would be better suited for these goals, as well as for building relationships and encouraging more diverse opinions.
There are valid concerns that bringing delegates closer might facilitate collusion. This isn’t something to take lightly; however, collusion is already possible through current peer-to-peer private communications, especially given the small number of delegates with significant voting power. The Uniswap DAO has faced criticism due to occasional stand-offs between the “community” and the whales/VCs, so on the surface, helping the community (as represented by smaller delegates) organize better doesn’t seem to be a bad idea.
Some delegates already are in the Uniswap channel at DeFi Delegates Discord, might be that is it?