Bitcoin's Opt-In Constitution

While protocols are generally all agreed upon and adhered to, it is extremely common to have competing pieces of software adhering to said protocol with slightly different understandings of how specifics are implemented. For example, we all use the HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) daily. The protocol is updated over time by first proposing a new change via an RFC (Request for Comments). These RFCs describe how changes to the HTTP protocol are intended to work: methods, behaviors, terminology, etc. They are then debated, tested, implemented, and (sometimes) reach enough widespread adoption that they become “standards.” These “standards” are almost always considered the base set of features that should be implemented by any software purporting to support HTTP, but software can also choose to implement additional features or remove/change functionality, at the potential cost of interoperability. This semi-decentralized approach allows ideas without enough demand or interest to be left…