# Scroll Forum Design

###### tags: `scroll`

# Reference

- [Ethereum Forum](https://ethresear.ch/) -> Very active and research related
- [Optimism Forum](https://op-forums.com/) -> Very active & worth learning
- [Starkware Forum](https://community.starknet.io/) -> Active and research related
- [zkSync Forum](https://community.zksync.io/) -> Not active
- [Gitcoin Forum](https://gov.gitcoin.co/) -> Very active but research irrelevant

# Functions

### 1. Release official resources and guide developers to participate
- Many users will go deeper into Scroll this way.
- For us right now, the focus is on the engineering part. After the Alpha testnet (or even the mainnet) is launched, our focus may (part) shift to the **community** and **ecosystem**. At that time, building a forum and gathering users and developers will become a very important task.
- Forums can be used to post [our latest announcements](https://twitter.com/Scroll_ZKP/status/1549268276152500225?s=20&t=-g-6iT4QX5OCvTE_RVXY7A), as well as development resources and [user documentation](https://guide.scroll.io/).

### 2. Publish our own research to expand impact in the long term

- Similar to the Layer 3 research posted by kelemeno, almost everyone thought it was the concept proposed by starkware. This type of research is very important for **the long-term impact** and enhancing **the narrative and legitimacy** of the scroll.

- Similar to articles like "[PoS and Beacon Chain](https://hackmd.io/st4VQ0stRJ-6p7iMqy55Rw?view#)", all research results (**articles**, **designs**, **proposals**, **presentations**) can be posted to our forum for external discussion (also to enhance community participation).

### 3. Enhance community engagement
1. Guide community members to publish **their own Scroll-based research and projects**. Sponsor (Scroll-based) excellent projects and ideas to expand Scroll's ecosystem.
- Referring to the Ethereum Research Forum, there are many engineers/researchers with different backgrounds who will come up with **their own ideas based on the current roadmap of Ethereum**.
- In the long run, Scroll also needs to have a similar culture/legality to attract them to come up with their own ideas based on Scroll.
- Includes EIP-like SIP to improve Scroll's networking (infra, sequencer, zkEVM, etc).
- In addition to SIP (protocol layer), ideas for novel applications (application layer) can also be proposed.
- In the short term, community and legitimacy are not the most urgent things. But in the long run, this is the guarantee of Scroll's success (tons of applications and users!). So we need to do it from now on.
2. Guide community members to **contribute** to Scroll. It is also a way to attract people to join.
- First, some research can be done in collaboration with the community (external collaborators/advisors).
- Secondly, we can also open some surrounding engineering projects to the community (such as blockchain explorer, zkEVM tools).
- Third, enough external information is also to let more people know about Scroll, attract more people to be interested in us and join us.
3. Receive community **feedback**.
- We can receive all types of feedback, refer to starkware's "support".
- Many users responded to their opinions through the forum.

### 4. Synchronize Scroll progress and roadmap with the community to enhance transparency
- On the one hand, we can publish monthly progress to the community (tech and non-tech), similar to what we did before.
- This part of the information can be selectively disclosed to inform the community of our latest progress.
- From the tech part (zkEVM progress) and the non-tech part (pre-alpha users, twitter/discord members), progress can be posted to the forum, enhancing users' trust in us.
- starkware's forum also has a similar function.
- On the other hand, we can publish long-term roadmaps and important plans to the community. See vitalik's "rollup-centric roadmap". In the long run, we will also need to publish similar content in the future, which is very meaningful to enhance legitimacy.
- Similar to VB's "[A rollup-centric ethereum roadmap](https://ethereum-magicians.org/t/a-rollup-centric-ethereum-roadmap/4698)", a similar long-term plan can actually be released, which is very helpful to increase the influence of Scroll
- This kind of research content can actually greatly enhance our impact. Very helpful in the long run, and very helpful in attracting apps and developers from other ecosystems to Scroll.
# Conclusion
For the short term, it is very important to push the progress of the project. For the long term, building a good community culture and **attracting developers and applications to Scroll's ecosystem** is very important.

Building a **forum** (platform) starts with publishing our own research and then engaging community members in discussions. After that, we encourage community members to publish **research/projects/improvements** based on Scroll, which naturally attracts applications/developers both inside and outside to join the Scroll ecosystem. It is a relatively feasible ecosystem development path.

All successful projects have their own forums and a good culture of open source/community engagement, and we can get started right now. Exactly matches our long-term plans (mainnet launch around 2023).