# Story Network Validator Community Call #2 Notes - October 18, 2024

### 1. Admin
* Thursdays 2:00AM UTC/10:00PM EST

### 2. Validator Selection Mechanism Announcement

* Selection criteria are officially released and pinned in the validator chat.
* Form access is restricted to users with the validator role.
* **Selection Criteria:** The selection criteria are publicly available and emphasize factors like uptime, technical expertise, and community contributions.
* Uptime during the current testnet phase is being tracked and is a crucial factor.

### 3. Mainnet Validator Slot Details

* The Odyssey testnet is set to launch on October 24th. Validators are urged to prepare their nodes for the upgrade.
* Confirmation of approximately 48 validator slots available for mainnet.
* May drop but will definitely be above 45
* **Categorization of validator types:** institutional, community-driven, and individual.
* A dedicated thread is open for further discussion on validator criteria.
* Key improvements in Story 0.11.0 Geth include unjail function implementation and fixes for unstaking issues related to consensus layer signal detection.

### 4. Community Engagement and Tooling
* Tim encourages community members to build tools for the Story Network ecosystem and offers to promote them via demos during community calls.
* StoryScan demo by the StakeMe team in the next community call.
### 5. Open Questions

**A.Validator Numbers and Activity**
* Current network stats: 9,295 total validators, 100 active.
* Ongoing testnet participation is crucial, even if not in the active set, as it demonstrates node operation capabilities.

**B. Delegation and Rotation**
* No current plans for delegation rotation to ensure network stability and prioritize dedicated validators.
* Reassurance that the active set will remain at 100, allowing for some new entries.

**C. Validator Hardware Specifications**
* The team can only assess computer specs if provided by the validator.
* Emphasis that individuals face a tougher selection process due to limited slots.

**D. What is the value of Running a Non-Active Validator**
* It is important to demonstrate node maintenance and upgrade skills even without active set participation.

**E. Network Decentralization and Validator Location**
* There is a concentration of validators in Germany, attributed to potential game theory dynamics within the validator selection process.
* Network cost increases due to decentralization are not a significant concern at this stage.

**G. WIll there be ledger support?**
* Ledger integration is not a current priority due to existing wallet options, but the team is open to considering it in the future.
### 6. **Next Steps for the community:**
* Validators should complete the selection form as soon as possible.
* All validators should prepare their nodes for the Odyssey upgrade on October 24th.