Topics: add Simplicity

[michaelfolkson]

At the very least I need to add hashtags (I couldn't find the hashtags to link to specific sections of previous newsletters). There may be other stuff I've missed too.

However, I think we need a Simplicity topics page as it has cropped up in the newsletter a number of times now and so hopefully this is at least a start.

[harding]

Concept ACK. Thanks!

I'd prefer a more detailed excerpt/detailed_summary, perhaps including information like:

• Planned for Elements
• Not proposed for Bitcoin directly in the near future (e.g. the next 24 months)
• Easier proofs of correctness than Script
• Maybe better resource accounting / better management of DoS risks
• Native merklized scripting
• Risks, e.g. more Ethereum-like losses due to poorly written contracts
• Costs, e.g. non-jetted scripts might be more expensive than current scripts
• More details about what jets are and why they're useful

In short, text that convinces me that this is worth considering (but without hiding any likely downsides).

@michaelfolkson Let me know if the anchor linking instructions in harding#15 (comment) are insufficient to address the links on this PR as well.

[bitschmidty]

Concept ACK as well! I could have used this link last week as well

[jnewbery]

Thanks for this @michaelfolkson . Will review once you've addressed @harding's review comments.

[jnewbery]

@michaelfolkson - are you planning to update this PR?

[michaelfolkson]

Yes I will work on this after I've finished this month's transcripts section. Thanks for the reminder and apologies for delay.

[michaelfolkson]

Pushed an additional commit that addresses most if not all of @harding suggestions and adds the correct links to prior newsletters.

[edit: The content is ready to be reviewed (I think) but checks are failing so evidently I still need to address some formatting issues.]

[harding]

I think this is an improvement, thanks! Left some comments. Looks like tests are failing because the intro paragraph is over 500 characters.

[jnewbery]

@michaelfolkson - quick reminder that there are some outstanding review comments on this and the build is failing because the intro paragraph is too long. Are you planning to work on this again?

[michaelfolkson]

@jnewbery: Yes I'll work on this Thursday and push update then (after Bitcoin Core PR review club) if that is ok.

[michaelfolkson]

Pushed latest changes but builds are failing (I haven't built locally yet). Will investigate.

Looks like tests are failing because the intro paragraph is over 500 characters.

Is the limit for the intro paragraph 500 characters including spaces or excluding spaces? I think it is 500 characters including spaces...

[harding]

@michaelfolkson

Is the limit for the intro paragraph 500 characters including spaces or excluding spaces? I think it is 500 characters including spaces...

Including spaces (but not the indentation).

[michaelfolkson]

Checks are passing now. It didn't like [SIGHASH_ANYPREVOUT][topic SIGHASH_ANYPREVOUT]. I don't know if this was because ANYPREVOUT was upper case or because ANYPREVOUT is an alias of NOINPUT and you need to use SIGHASH_NOINPUT as the topic. Anyway ready to be re-reviewed. I think I have addressed all of @harding comments.

[jnewbery]

I don't know if this was because ANYPREVOUT was upper case or because ANYPREVOUT is an alias of NOINPUT and you need to use SIGHASH_NOINPUT as the topic.

Yes, you need to use the shortname of the topic page, or the title if there's no shortname. The title in this case is SIGHASH_NOINPUT.

[michaelfolkson]

Merged in some more @harding suggested edits. I think this is at final review stage (or at least very close to it).

[michaelfolkson]

A reminder that this is ready to be reviewed. Latest @harding edits are merged.

[harding]

ACK 931c5c1

If additional changes are requested by other people, I think maybe the simplicity.pdf link should be moved from the see_also section to the primary_sources section. I don't think that's particularly important, though, and I feel bad about not re-reviewing this sooner as it is.